A Pakistani astronaut is set to join the crew of China's Shenzhou 24 spacecraft, becoming the first foreign national to visit Beijing's Tiangong space station, according to state media reports. The mission will involve a short stay in orbit before the astronaut returns to Earth aboard the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft.
This flight represents a significant milestone as it will be the first joint mission with foreign astronauts in China's manned space program. Earlier this year, two Pakistani candidates, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, began training alongside Chinese astronauts. The plan was for one of them to be selected as a payload specialist for a short-term spaceflight mission.
The training program included intensive Chinese language instruction and focused on developing hands-on operational capabilities. This upcoming mission is part of an agreement signed between China and Pakistan in February 2025.
China is actively pursuing ambitious space exploration goals, including its first crewed lunar landing planned by 2030. This aligns with its broader space race against the United States, which aims to land astronauts on the moon in 2028 as part of NASA's Artemis program.