Pakistani astronaut to join China’s next space station mission

China's Manned Space Agency has chosen a Pakistani astronaut as a payload specialist for the upcoming Shenzhou-24 mission, marking the first time a foreign national will visit the country's space station. This selection is part of a bilateral cooperation under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, according to Chinese state media.

The identity of the Pakistani astronaut and the departure date remain undisclosed, but the mission is anticipated to occur by the year's end. Pakistani pilots Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud underwent a six-month training program at China's Astronaut Research and Training Center in Beijing. In February, Pakistan and China signed an agreement to establish a government-led program for training Pakistani astronauts.

China is Pakistan's most significant trading partner and a crucial foreign investor. The China National Space Administration will also send Jinnah-1, Pakistan's first lunar rover. Weighing 35kg and equipped with specialized scientific instruments, the rover will examine plasma behavior, radiation, and lunar soil composition. The training program includes practical operational exercises and extensive Chinese language lessons to prepare candidates for the mission.

Following a brief in-orbit flight, the astronauts are expected to return to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft.