Pakistani Astronaut to Join China’s Next Space Station Mission

China and Pakistan are set to reach a historic milestone in space exploration. A Pakistani astronaut is expected to become the first foreign national to visit China’s Tiangong space station. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) has confirmed that the historic journey will take place as part of China’s upcoming Shenzhou-24 mission.

According to Al Jazeera, citing Chinese state media on Saturday (November 7), the move is part of bilateral cooperation under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It will mark the first time a foreign astronaut has joined China’s human spaceflight programme.

In February 2025, China and Pakistan signed an agreement on astronaut selection, training and participation in space missions. Under the agreement, two Pakistani pilots were selected through a rigorous process for specialised training at the China Astronaut Research and Training Centre in Beijing.

According to the Chinese space agency, the selected Pakistani astronaut will serve as a payload specialist aboard the space station. He will conduct scientific research and experiments during his stay in space before returning safely to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft.

Analysts believe the mission will take the longstanding strategic partnership between China and Pakistan to a new level through space diplomacy and technological cooperation.

Source: Al Jazeera.