Pakistan to Make History as First Foreign Nation to Send Astronaut to China’s Space Station

Pakistan is set to make history as one of its astronauts prepares to become the first foreign national to visit China's space station under the country's upcoming Shenzhou-24 mission.

China's Manned Space Agency has selected an unnamed Pakistani astronaut to serve as a payload specialist for the mission, marking a significant milestone in space cooperation between the two Asian nations.

According to Chinese state media, the mission is part of a bilateral partnership established under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative. Although China has not disclosed the astronaut's identity or the exact launch date, the mission is expected to take place before the end of 2026.

Two Pakistani pilots, Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, reportedly underwent months of intensive training at the China Astronaut Research and Training Centre in Beijing in preparation for the historic mission.

The development follows an agreement signed by Pakistan and China in February 2026 to establish a Chinese government-led programme for training Pakistani astronauts.

In another major development, China is also preparing to deploy Pakistan's first lunar rover, Jinnah-1. The 35-kilogram spacecraft will carry specialised scientific instruments designed to study plasma behaviour, radiation levels and the composition of lunar soil.

The astronaut training programme includes practical spaceflight exercises and intensive Chinese language lessons to prepare participants for operations aboard China's space station.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that following a short-term stay in orbit, the astronauts would return to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft.

Meanwhile, China has significantly expanded its space programme in recent years as it seeks to strengthen its position in the global space race against the United States.

Beijing has set an ambitious target of landing Chinese astronauts on the Moon by 2030.

The United States, Russia and China are also pursuing plans to develop nuclear reactors on the lunar surface to provide electricity for future space stations and support the extraction of frozen water believed to exist beneath the Moon's surface.

The water could potentially be processed into drinking water, breathable oxygen and rocket fuel, making it an important resource for future lunar exploration.