A Pakistani astronaut will make history by becoming the first foreign national to visit China's space station, joining the Shenzhou-24 crewed mission as a payload specialist, the China Manned Space Agency announced on November 7.

The astronaut will undertake a short-duration stay aboard the space station before returning to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft. The mission will mark the first time Chinese and foreign astronauts have flown together as part of China's manned space programme.

The milestone follows a cooperation agreement signed by China and Pakistan in Islamabad in February 2025, which launched the selection and training process for Pakistani astronauts.

After a rigorous three-stage selection process, two candidates were chosen as reserve astronauts. Both subsequently underwent training in China and completed the required assessments. One will join the Shenzhou-24 crew, while the other will serve as backup.