Pakistan is set to make history as one of its astronauts will join China’s Shenzhou-24 crewed space mission as a payload specialist, the China Manned Space Agency said.
The mission will be the first in China’s human spaceflight programme to include both Chinese and foreign astronauts, marking a milestone in Pakistan-China space cooperation. The Pakistani astronaut will return to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft after a short stay in orbit.
Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud were selected as reserve astronauts following a rigorous selection process and are undergoing training in China. One will participate in the mission, while the other will serve as a backup.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal previously announced that Pakistan’s first astronaut would embark on a space mission on November 25. He also said Pakistan aimed to achieve a lunar landing by 2035 through cooperation with China.
Pakistan’s First Astronaut Set for China Space Mission on Nov 25
