ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to make history by sending its first astronaut to China’s Tiangong space station aboard the Shenzhou-24 mission, in a landmark development in the two countries’ growing space partnership.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday, citing the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), that the Pakistani astronaut would join the mission as a payload specialist, becoming the first foreign astronaut to visit China’s space station.
The astronaut will conduct a short-term mission in orbit before returning to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft, according to the report. China has not yet announced the launch date or identified the selected Pakistani astronaut.
Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal announced earlier this month that the country’s first astronaut would embark on a space mission from a Chinese space centre on November 25.
The minister announced while addressing the closing ceremony of World Space Week in Narowal, organised in collaboration with the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), according to a statement from the Planning Ministry.
Iqbal also said Pakistan aimed to achieve a lunar landing by 2035, expressing hope that cooperation with China would help the country “reach new heights in space exploration”.
Two Candidates
Two Pakistani pilots, Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, have spent months undergoing training at the China Astronaut Research and Training Centre in Beijing.
A Pakistani space agency official told Reuters in September that both candidates were preparing for the mission, with China expected to select one for the final flight.
The selected astronaut will serve as a payload specialist rather than a spacecraft pilot, focusing on scientific experiments and research activities aboard the orbital station.
Scientific Research
The mission is expected to include experiments relevant to Pakistan’s agriculture and food security priorities.
Proposed research includes studying how microalgae and quinoa seeds respond to space radiation, potentially generating findings relevant to agricultural research and food production.
The astronaut’s participation will also mark the first joint spaceflight involving Chinese and foreign astronauts in China’s human spaceflight programme.
Expanding Space Cooperation
The mission forms part of expanding cooperation between Pakistan and China under their broader strategic partnership and Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Pakistan’s space agency, SUPARCO, and the China Manned Space Agency signed an agreement in February 2025 covering cooperation in astronaut selection, training and spaceflight.
Pakistan has also expressed ambitions to achieve a lunar landing by 2035, reflecting its longer-term plans to expand its space exploration capabilities.
The Shenzhou-24 mission would represent a major step in Pakistan’s efforts to develop human spaceflight expertise and strengthen its scientific and technological cooperation with China.
