First foreign astronaut to fly to Tiangong
Published
A Pakistani astronaut is set to become the first foreigner to visit China's Tiangong space station. According to Universe Today, the Shenzhou-24 mission is scheduled to launch on November 25 on a Long March 2F rocket.
The crew will be three Chinese taikonauts, and one seat goes to a payload specialist from Pakistan. Universe Today says the China Manned Space Agency nominated two candidates from SUPARCO, Pakistan's space agency: Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud. Only one will fly, and the other will be the backup.
The astronaut would spend about a week aboard the station and return on the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft. Universe Today says crew names are usually announced the day before launch, but this time the foreign astronaut was named in advance.
The partnership began with an agreement signed in February 2025. The selection process ended in April 2026. Universe Today also notes that India's first crewed mission is not expected before the second quarter of 2027, so Pakistan could be first to send an astronaut.
Why it matters: it is a step toward international crews on Tiangong, which has mostly carried Chinese crews so far.
Easy question: should more countries be invited to fly to Tiangong?
Sources: Universe Today