Pakistani astronaut to join China's Shenzhou-24 space station mission
A Pakistani astronaut will become the first foreign visitor to China's Tiangong space station, the China Manned Space Agency said on Saturday. The astronaut will join the Shenzhou-24 mission as a payload specialist.
- A Pakistani astronaut will fly on China's Shenzhou-24 mission as a payload specialist.
- It will be the first time a foreigner visits China's space station.
- China has not named the astronaut or announced the launch date.
A Pakistani astronaut will join China's Shenzhou-24 crewed mission to the Tiangong space station, making Pakistan the first country to send a foreign visitor aboard the orbiting outpost. The China Manned Space Agency announced this on Saturday, according to Chinese state media and several news outlets.
The astronaut will take part as a payload specialist. CCTV, citing the agency, reported that the participation is part of bilateral cooperation under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative. The agency said the mission will be the first joint spaceflight involving Chinese and foreign astronauts in the history of China's manned space programme.
China has not named the astronaut. The Express Tribune reported that pilots Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud have spent months training at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in Beijing. A Pakistani space agency official told Reuters about their training in September.
Beijing has not announced the date of the mission. Daily Times reported that it is expected to take place by the end of 2026. The Express Tribune noted a related headline that attributes to Ahsan Iqbal a statement that Pakistan will launch its first astronaut from China on November 25, but the reports do not give further detail.
According to the reports, the astronaut will stay in orbit for a short period. After that short-term stay, the astronaut will return to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft.
Business Recorder reported that Pakistan and China are close diplomatic and strategic partners. The two countries signed a deal in February 2025 setting up a Chinese government training programme for Pakistani astronauts. The Express Tribune described the mission as part of Beijing's space diplomacy.
Why it matters for Pakistan
The flight would place a Pakistani astronaut on a crewed space mission for the first time, according to the reports. It follows the February 2025 agreement under which China set up a training programme for Pakistani astronauts. The mission is described as a milestone in China-Pakistan space cooperation.
