China has selected a Pakistani astronaut as a payload specialist for the Shenzhou-24 mission, making them the first foreign national to visit China's space station.
China's Manned Space Agency has selected a Pakistani astronaut as a payload specialist for the upcoming Shenzhou-24 mission, making the unnamed individual the first foreign national to visit China's space station, Chinese state media reported on Saturday.
The Pakistani astronaut will join the Shenzhou-24 crew and take part in a short-duration stay aboard the space station before returning to Earth on the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft. The mission is expected to take place by the end of the year. The agency has not announced the launch date or identified the astronaut.
The mission will mark the first time Chinese and foreign astronauts have flown together as part of China's human spaceflight program, according to Xinhua. It is part of bilateral cooperation under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative.
Pakistan and China signed an agreement in February 2025 establishing a Chinese government-led programme to train Pakistani astronauts. Following a three-stage selection and assessment process, two Pakistani reserve astronauts were chosen: Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud. Both pilots underwent training at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in Beijing, including practical operational exercises and intensive Chinese language lessons. After completing training and passing required evaluations, one will join the crew as a payload specialist, while the other will serve as a backup.
China has invested heavily in its space programme in recent years and aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030. Pakistan and China are also collaborating on a Pakistani-built lunar rover for China's Chang'e-8 mission, expected around 2028. The rover is intended to use artificial intelligence-based stereo imaging to identify obstacles, assess distances and navigate the lunar surface autonomously. Pakistan's planning minister has said the country aims to land on the Moon by 2035.
The Shenzhou-24 mission represents the first joint spaceflight involving Chinese and foreign astronauts in the history of China's manned space programme, expanding China's international cooperation in human spaceflight.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
The day's checked news, by email
One short email a day with the top stories. Free, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
Or follow for the latest news:
No comments yet. Start the discussion.
SpaceTrending
Astrolab has proposed LUMIS, a lunar network of solar-powered stations providing electricity, Wi-Fi, 5G and computing, with initial nodes generating 2 kW and a target first deployment in 2028.
SpaceTrending
The European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft has captured its first images of the asteroid Dimorphos, part of the Didymos binary system, as it approaches for a rendezvous.
