By Khawaja Hamza

According to information released by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on November 7, a Pakistani astronaut will participate in the Shenzhou-24 crewed spaceflight mission as a payload specialist. After a short-duration stay in orbit, the astronaut will return to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft.

The mission will mark the first joint spaceflight involving Chinese and foreign astronauts in the history of China’s manned space programme. It will also be the first time a foreign astronaut visits the Chinese Space Station.

In February 2025, China and Pakistan signed the Cooperation Agreement on the Selection and Training of Pakistani Astronauts and Their Participation in Missions to the Chinese Space Station in Islamabad, officially launching the selection process.

Following a rigorous three-stage selection and evaluation process comprising preliminary, secondary and final selection, two Pakistani astronaut candidates were selected. After completing their training in China and successfully passing the required assessments, one candidate will participate in the crewed spaceflight mission, while the other will serve as the backup astronaut.