A Pakistani astronaut will fly on China's Shenzhou 24 mission and become the first foreign national to board Beijing's space station.
The big picture: China's state media said a Pakistani astronaut will join the Shenzhou 24 crew for a short orbital mission. The flight would be the first joint mission involving Chinese and foreign astronauts in the history of China's human space program.
- The selected astronaut will board China's Tiangong station and return to Earth aboard Shenzhou 23, according to the China Manned Space Agency. Officials did not provide a launch date.
Zoom in: Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud began training with Chinese astronauts earlier this year. One will be chosen as a payload specialist after instruction that included hands-on operations and intensive Chinese-language training.
The backstory: China and Pakistan signed the astronaut agreement in February 2025. Beijing has kept its station under national control while building wider partnerships with countries that have limited access to US-led space programs.
Between the lines: The seat is a diplomatic milestone as well as a technical one. China gets to demonstrate that Tiangong can operate as an international platform, while Pakistan gains its first direct role in a crewed station mission.
What's next: The final payload specialist and launch schedule remain to be announced. China is also preparing for its first crewed lunar landing by 2030, while NASA is targeting a 2028 return to the moon.
- Shenzhou 24 will carry a regular Chinese crew in addition to the short-term Pakistani participant, whose return aboard the prior spacecraft creates a crew exchange during the mission.
Why it matters: Opening Tiangong to its first foreign astronaut signals that the US-China space rivalry now includes partnerships, training and access, alongside rockets and lunar timelines.
