Pakistan to send astronaut to China's space station this year
The mission will mark the first time a foreign national visits Beijing's space station as part of a joint spaceflight.
A Pakistani astronaut will join the crew of the Shenzhou-24 spacecraft this year, according to a report by the Times of India on Saturday. The individual will serve as a payload specialist and will complete a short-term stay in orbit before returning to Earth on the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft.
The China Manned Space Agency has not yet identified the astronaut or announced a specific launch date. The mission represents the first joint spaceflight between Chinese and foreign astronauts in the history of China's manned space programme, Xinhua reported.
Earlier this year, two Pakistani candidates, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, began training at the China Astronaut Research and Training Centre in Beijing. This training involved intensive Chinese language instruction and operational skills development. One of these candidates was expected to be chosen for the upcoming mission.
The mission follows an agreement signed by China and Pakistan in February 2025 and is part of space exploration cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Pakistan and China are also collaborating on a Pakistani-built lunar rover for the Chang'e-8 mission, which is expected around 2028.
Separately, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal stated last month that Pakistan aims to land on the Moon by 2035. However, a Pakistani space agency official told Reuters that there is currently no official discussion regarding sending a Pakistani astronaut to the Moon under the existing partnership.
