Pakistan is preparing to send its first astronaut to a foreign space station after China confirmed that a Pakistani national will participate in its upcoming Shenzhou-24 crewed mission.
The China Manned Space Agency announced on November 7 that the Pakistani astronaut would serve as a payload specialist, becoming the first foreign national to visit China’s Tiangong space station.
The astronaut will spend a short period in orbit before returning to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft. The mission will also mark the first joint spaceflight involving Chinese and foreign astronauts in China’s crewed space programme.
China has not yet disclosed the identity of the Pakistani astronaut. However, two Pakistani reserve candidates have been selected following a three-stage assessment process and subsequent training in China.
One candidate will undertake the actual flight, while the other will remain available as a backup.
The selection process followed a cooperation agreement signed between Pakistan and China in Islamabad in February 2025, covering astronaut selection, training and participation in Chinese space station missions.
The Shenzhou-24 mission patch also features jasmine, Pakistan’s national flower, incorporated into its design to represent the country’s participation in the historic spaceflight.
