In brief
Al Jazeera reports that China has chosen a Pakistani astronaut to serve as a payload specialist aboard its Shenzhou‑24 mission, slated to launch by year‑end. The selection follows a training partnership under the Belt and Road Initiative and coincides with the deployment of Pakistan’s lunar rover, Jinnah‑1. The move marks a historic first for China and deepens space‑sector ties between the two countries.
Al Jazeera reports that China has selected a Pakistani astronaut to serve as a payload specialist aboard its Shenzhou‑24 mission, slated for launch by the end of the year. The unnamed individual will become the first foreign national to visit China’s space station.
According to the outlet, the astronaut is part of a bilateral training program established in February under the Belt and Road Initiative, which sees the China National Space Administration ship Pakistani pilots Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud to the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in Beijing. The program includes rigorous operational exercises and intensive Chinese language lessons to prepare the candidates for the mission.
Al Jazeera notes that China has not yet identified the astronaut or announced a launch date. However, it confirms the Shenzhou‑24 flight will carry the foreign payload specialist aboard the Chinese station.
The announcement comes alongside plans to deploy Pakistan’s first lunar rover, Jinnah‑1. The 35‑kilogram rover, equipped with scientific instruments to analyze plasma behavior, radiation, and lunar soil composition, will be flown by the China National Space Administration on the same mission.
China’s move underscores the deepening space‑sector cooperation between the two countries and coincides with China’s broader push to increase international collaboration on the Mars and Moon programs. The country has announced aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030, while the United States and Russia are also pursuing lunar nuclear reactor projects.
