# Pakistani Astronaut Set to Become First Foreign Visitor to China’s Tiangong Station - URL: https://tamrahnews.com/pakistani-astronaut-set-become-first-foreign/ - Published: 2026-11-07T14:06:23+00:00 - Updated: 2026-11-07T14:06:28+00:00 - Author: Tamrah News (https://tamrahnews.com/author/syeda-aliya-shah/) - Section: World News - Topics: China Space Station, Pakistani Astronaut, Shenzhou 24, SUPARCO, Tiangong - Publisher: TAMRAH NEWS > A Pakistani astronaut will join China’s Shenzhou 24 mission to the Tiangong space station as a payload specialist, the China Manned Space Agency announced. China has not named the astronaut or confirmed the launch date. *China’s space agency says a Pakistani payload specialist will fly on Shenzhou 24, but it has not named the astronaut or confirmed a launch date.* **Tamrah News Desk | November 7, 2026** A Pakistani astronaut will fly to China’s Tiangong space station on the Shenzhou 24 mission, becoming the first foreign visitor to the outpost, according to [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/7/pakistani-astronaut-to-join-chinas-next-space-station-mission). The China Manned Space Agency announced on Saturday that the astronaut will serve as a payload specialist. China has not named the person or given a departure date. ## What China Announced About the Pakistani Astronaut The Express Tribune, in a [report citing CCTV and the agency](https://tribune.com.pk/story/2639104/pakistani-astronaut-to-join-china-space-stations-shenzhou-24-mission), said the flight falls under bilateral cooperation within Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. CCTV described it as the first joint spaceflight with both Chinese and foreign astronauts in the history of China’s manned space program. After a short stay in orbit, the astronaut will return to Earth aboard the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft, CCTV reported. ## Who Are Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud? The Express Tribune report said Pakistani pilots Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud have spent months training at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in Beijing, according to a space agency official who spoke to Reuters in September. [The Nation](https://www.nation.com.pk/07-Nov-2026/pakistani-astronaut-join-china-s-shenzhou-24-space-mission) reported that one of the two will fly while the other serves as backup. Beijing has not said which man was chosen. Reuters reported in September, in a story carried by the Express Tribune, that the pair beat about 20 finalists drawn from Pakistani pilots and scientists. Candidates were screened for medical fitness, psychological resilience and tolerance of g forces. Their training covers Mandarin, spacecraft systems and weightlessness. Dawn reported in April that China had selected both men as candidates. ## What Will the Payload Specialist Do on Tiangong? According to Reuters, a payload specialist runs science experiments instead of flying the spacecraft. Chinese institutes picked four experiments for this flight from more than 300 proposals gathered by Pakistan’s space agency SUPARCO from universities. They are biotechnology studies on food insecurity and climate change, Reuters reported. SUPARCO built and pre tested each one in its own laboratories before Chinese engineers approved them. Reuters said the stay will last about a week. The Pakistani astronaut is due to return with two members of the Chinese crew that reached the station in May, because the third member is expected to remain for a year. ## When Will the Shenzhou 24 Mission Launch? Al Jazeera said the mission is expected to take place by the end of the year. The Express Tribune reported on October 18, citing Radio Pakistan, that Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the astronaut would embark on a mission from China on November 25. [Arab News Pakistan](https://www.arabnews.pk/pakistan/pakistani-astronaut-to-embark-on-space-mission-from-china-on-nov-25-minister-3004545) quoted a planning ministry statement with the same date. Chinese officials have not confirmed it. Reuters also reported that the chosen astronaut will not return to Pakistan before launch. The astronaut will fly directly from training in China. ## Why the Mission Matters for Pakistan China Space Cooperation [ARY News](https://arynews.tv/pakistans-first-astronaut-to-board-chinese-space-station) reported that the two countries signed a cooperation agreement in Islamabad in February 2025 to select and train Pakistani astronauts. Reuters said the plan dates back to 2019. It also reported that Pakistan has no launch vehicle or crewed spacecraft of its own, so the astronaut will rely on Chinese equipment, instructors and launch facilities. Only Russia, the United States and China have launched their own crewed spacecraft, Reuters added. The cooperation reaches beyond this flight. Reuters reported that a Pakistani built rover is due to fly on China’s Chang’e 8 lunar mission around 2028. A SUPARCO official told Reuters there is no official commitment to a moon flight for a Pakistani astronaut. Planning Minister Iqbal said Pakistan aims to land on the Moon by 2035, the Express Tribune reported. Readers can follow related [world news](https://tamrahnews.com/category/world-news/) on Tamrah News, along with our [Oman Examines JF-17 Thunder Acquisition in Talks with Pakistan and China](https://tamrahnews.com/oman-examines-jf-17-thunder-acquisition/). ## Conclusion The selection of a Pakistani astronaut for Shenzhou 24 marks a first for the Tiangong space station and for Pakistan China space cooperation. Readers searching for the first foreign astronaut on China’s station, the role of a payload specialist, or updates from the China Manned Space Agency should watch for the crew announcement and launch confirmation. -[Tamrah News](https://tamrahnews.com/)