The First Foreign Astronaut Will Visit China's Tiangong Space Station in Two Weeks
The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) will be taking a Pakistani astronaut to Tiangong as part of the Shenzou 24 mission, marking the first time a foreign astronaut has been to the station.
On November 25th, 2026, China's Shenzhou 24 mission will launch for the Tiangong space station, marking the country's 18th crewed spaceflight. This historic mission will see the arrival of a Pakistani astronaut, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali or Khurram Daud, making them the first foreigner to visit Tiangong. The CMSA nominated these two Pakistani astronauts from SUPARCO, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, as payload specialists for the joint spaceflight.
The selected astronaut will spend a week aboard the station before returning to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft. This mission signifies a significant expansion of China's ambitions in space and a major shift in the strategic partnership between China and Pakistan.
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