Pakistan to send first astronaut to China's space station

China has officially confirmed that a Pakistani astronaut will travel to the Tiangong space station for the first time, marking a significant milestone in space cooperation between the two nations.

Two Pakistani candidates—Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daoud—have been selected for consideration, with one set to participate in the Shenzhou-24 mission. The exact timing of the mission and final selection between the two candidates has not yet been announced.

The mission represents an expansion of China's crewed spaceflight programme, which has increasingly welcomed international partners to its Tiangong station following China's exclusion from the International Space Station. The selection of a Pakistani astronaut underscores deepening space collaboration between Beijing and Islamabad.

Pakistan's participation in China's space programme comes as part of broader bilateral cooperation initiatives between the neighbouring countries. The development is likely to be closely watched by regional space agencies and international observers tracking Asia's evolving space activities.