Pakistani astronaut to fly on China's Shenzhou-24 mission, Chinese state media report

A Pakistani astronaut will join China's Shenzhou-24 mission, Chinese state media reported on Saturday. The report was carried by Al Jazeera, Reuters and Phys.org, which republishes The Associated Press.

According to Chinese state media, the astronaut would be the first foreign national to visit China's space station. The astronaut would complete a short-term flight in orbit and then return to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft. Al Jazeera attributes this detail to China Central Television (CCTV). Phys.org/AP attributes it to Xinhua, citing the China Manned Space Agency.

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not name the astronaut. They also do not give a launch date.

Two Pakistani candidates have trained in China for a mission. They are named as Zeeshan Ali (Phys.org/AP gives Muhammad Zeeshan Ali) and Khurram Daud. Their training included operational exercises and language study. Xinhua, in a report quoted by The Associated Press, described the language study as "intensive Chinese language instruction".

According to Al Jazeera, the two candidates are pilots and trained at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in Beijing. Al Jazeera also reports that the China Manned Space Agency selected the Pakistani astronaut as a payload specialist. Earlier this year, according to Phys.org/AP, Xinhua reported a plan to select one of the two candidates as a payload specialist for a short-term spaceflight.

Al Jazeera and Reuters report that the mission is expected to take place by the end of the year. According to Xinhua, as reported by Phys.org/AP, it would be the first joint flight of Chinese and foreign astronauts in the history of China's crewed space program.

The flight is linked to an agreement between China and Pakistan signed in February. According to Al Jazeera, the agreement set up a Chinese government-led programme to train Pakistani astronauts. Al Jazeera also reports that the China National Space Administration will deploy Jinnah-1, Pakistan's first lunar rover. The rover weighs 35kg (77lb). It is designed to analyse plasma behaviour, radiation and the composition of lunar soil. The reports do not include a timeline for this.

China aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030. According to Phys.org/AP, NASA aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface in 2028.

What is disputed

The reports differ on when the agreement was signed. Phys.org/AP says February 2025. Al Jazeera says "last February" without stating a year; in an article dated November 2026, this suggests February 2026.

What each side says

Chinese state media, citing the China Manned Space Agency, say the flight is part of bilateral cooperation under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative. The reports do not include any statement from the Pakistani government or Pakistan's space agency. All accounts trace back to Chinese state media.

Analysis

If the flight goes ahead as described, it would mark a first for China's space station: a visit by a foreign national. It could also signal a wider opening of China's crewed program to partner countries. Several questions remain open. The reports do not say who was selected, when the launch will take place, or what tasks the astronaut will carry out. Every account relies on Chinese state media, including CCTV and Xinhua, and the reports include no comment from Pakistan. Further details from Chinese or Pakistani authorities, or the crew announcement itself, may clarify these points and the year of the bilateral agreement.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.