According to a message posted on the WeChat public account “China Manned Spaceflight” on the 7th, one Pakistani astronaut will participate in the Shenzhou XXIV manned mission as a payload specialist. After completing a short in-orbit flight, he will return with the Shenzhou XXIII manned spacecraft. This is the first joint flight of Chinese and foreign astronauts in the history of China’s manned space program, and China’s space station will welcome its first foreign astronaut.
In February 2025, China and Pakistan signed a cooperation agreement in Islamabad regarding the selection, training of Pakistani astronauts and their participation in China’s space station missions. The selection process for Pakistani astronauts was officially launched. After rigorous screening and evaluation in three stages—preliminary selection, re-selection, and final selection—two Pakistani candidates were selected. They will complete all necessary training in China and pass the assessments. One of them will carry out a manned mission, while the other will serve as a backup astronaut for the mission.
