In brief
Reuters reports that a Pakistani astronaut will join China’s Shenzhou‑24 mission as a payload specialist, becoming the first foreign visitor aboard the space station. The astronaut, whose name remains undisclosed, trained alongside pilots Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center. The flight is part of Belt and Road cooperation and will culminate in a return aboard Shenzhou‑23.
Pakistan’s next‐generation navigator is reportedly slated to fly aboard China’s Shenzhou‑24, making her the first foreign astronaut to visit the Chinese space station, Reuters announced on November 7, 2026.
The astronaut will serve as a payload specialist, and after a brief in‑orbit stint she will return to Earth on the Shenzhou‑23 spacecraft, the report added. China has not disclosed the astronaut’s identity, but the Pakistani Space Agency confirmed that pilots Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud have undergone months of training at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in Beijing, according to a Reuters interview in September.
Mission context
China’s state broadcaster CCTV cited the China Manned Space Agency for the first‑time foreign crew announcement, framing the venture as part of the country’s Belt and Road Initiative and a new chapter in space diplomacy. Internazionale and The Straits Times echoed the same details, noting that the Chinese launch date remains unannounced but that the mission will represent a historic “first joint spaceflight featuring both Chinese and foreign astronauts.”
No unverified claims have surfaced: all outlets agree that the astronaut’s name remains unknown and that the flight schedule is pending official release. The event is poised to become the first instance of a citizen from a non‑partner nation aboard the Chinese orbital outpost and is expected to foster deeper bilateral ties in space exploration.
