Web Desk(National Times)- A Pakistani astronaut will travel to China\u2019s Tiangong space station aboard the Shenzhou-24 mission, becoming the first foreigner to visit the orbiting outpost, Beijing\u2019s manned space agency said on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pakistan and China are close diplomatic and strategic partners, and signed a deal in February 2025 setting up a Chinese government training programme for Pakistani astronauts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The statement by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) did not give a date of departure, but the mission is expected to take place by the end of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, earlier in October, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the space mission would take place on Nov 25 while addressing a ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pakistani astronaut, a payload specialist, will join a short orbital flight before returning with the Shenzhou-23 spaceship, which docked at the Tiangong space station in May, according to the CMSA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The agency did not name the Pakistani crew member, but said in April that astronauts Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud had been chosen to start training in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met the two in April, and congratulated them on their selection. He said the space mission was a \u201cmatter of pride for the entire nation\u201d and further commended their \u201cround-the-clock efforts\u201d in achieving the milestone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PM Shehbaz hoped that the space mission would \u201cadd new dimensions to the brotherly relationship between Pakistan and China\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beijing has invested heavily in its space programme in recent years \u2014 catching up with its main rival the United States \u2014 and aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pakistan is a natural partner, given the countries decades-long, \u201call-weather\u201d friendship. China is Pakistan\u2019s largest trading partner and a major foreign investor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In February 2025, Suparco and CMSA had signed a cooperation agreement. Under the pact, two Pakistanis were to train in China, with one joining a mission on the Tiangong space station operated by Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China has been barred from particip\u00adating in the International Space Station since 2011, when the US prohibited Nasa from collaborating with Chinese space agencies. Since then, Beijing has sought to build partnerships with other countries \u2014 including Pakistan \u2014 in its expanding space programme.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Web Desk(National Times)- A Pakistani astronaut will travel to China\u2019s Tiangong space station aboard the Shenzhou-24 mission, becoming the first foreigner to visit the orbiting outpost, Beijing\u2019s manned space agency said on Saturday. Pakistan and China are close diplomatic and strategic partners, and signed a deal in February 2025 setting up a Chinese government training […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":136048,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n