Pakistani astronaut to join China’s next space-station mission

BEIJING: A Pakistani astronaut will become the first foreigner to visit China’s space station when they join the country’s next mission into orbit, Beijing’s manned space agency said on Saturday.

Pakistan and China are close diplomatic and strategic partners, and signed a deal in February 2025 setting up a Chinese government training program for Pakistani astronauts.

The Pakistani astronaut will take off with the Shenzhou-24 crew, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said on social media.

The statement did not give a date of departure, but the mission is expected to take place by the end of the year.

The Pakistani astronaut, a payload specialist, will join a short orbital flight before returning with the Shenzhou-23 spaceship, which docked at the Tiangong space station in May, according to the CMSA.