Pakistani astronaut to join Shenzhou-24 mission to China’s space station

A Pakistani astronaut is set to travel to China’s Tiangong space station aboard the Shenzhou-24 mission, becoming the first foreign astronaut to visit the Chinese orbital outpost. Under a February 2025 cooperation agreement between SUPARCO and China’s Manned Space Agency (CMSA), two Pakistani candidates, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, were selected for training in China, with one to join the mission as a payload specialist. The mission, expected by the end of 2026, marks a significant milestone in Pakistan-China space cooperation and further strengthens their longstanding strategic partnership.