ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani astronaut is set to make history by joining China’s Shenzhou-24 mission to its Tiangong space station, marking the first time a foreign astronaut will take part in China’s crewed space programme.
Chinese state media reported on Saturday that the Pakistani astronaut would serve as a payload specialist during the mission. The development is part of space cooperation between Pakistan and China under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.
China has not yet disclosed the astronaut’s identity. However, two Pakistani pilots, Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, have undergone months of training at the China Astronaut Research and Training Centre in Beijing.
A Pakistani space agency official had earlier told Reuters in September that the two pilots were preparing for a possible mission.
The China Manned Space Agency, as reported by state broadcaster CCTV, said the Pakistani astronaut would undertake a short-term stay aboard the space station before returning to Earth on the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft.
The mission will mark the first joint spaceflight involving Chinese and foreign astronauts in the history of China’s human space programme.
Beijing has not yet announced the launch date for Shenzhou-24. The mission is expected to represent a significant step in expanding Pakistan-China cooperation in space exploration.
