Pakistani Astronaut Assigned to China’s Shenzhou-24 Space Station Mission

Pakistani astronaut to make history as the first foreign national aboard China’s space station as part of the Shenzhou-24 mission.

China’s Manned Space Agency has selected a Pakistani astronaut as a payload specialist for the upcoming Shenzhou-24 mission, making the unnamed individual the first foreign national to visit the country’s space station.

The astronaut’s assignment is part of bilateral cooperation under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, according to Chinese state media.

China has not yet identified the astronaut or announced a departure date, but the mission is expected to take place by the end of the year.

Pilots Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud have spent months training at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in Beijing in preparation for the mission.

In February, Pakistan and China, longstanding strategic and diplomatic partners, agreed to establish a Chinese government-led programme to train Pakistani astronauts. China remains Pakistan’s largest trading partner and a key foreign investor.

China’s National Space Administration will also deploy Jinnah-1, Pakistan’s inaugural lunar rover. Weighing 35kg (77lb) and fitted with specialised scientific equipment, the rover is tasked with analysing plasma behaviour, radiation, and the composition of lunar soil.

The training programme includes practical operational exercises and intensive Chinese language lessons to prepare the candidates for the mission.

Beijing’s China Central Television reported that after completing a short-term in-orbit flight, the astronauts will return to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft.

China has invested heavily in its space programme in recent years, aiming to catch up with its main rival, the United States, and plans to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030.

The United States, Russia, and China are racing to build nuclear reactors on the Moon. While NASA announced plans to develop a lunar reactor by the end of 2030, Russia, working with China, aims to achieve the same by 2036.

The reactors are needed to power the mining of frozen water trapped deep within the Moon’s craters, which scientists believe could supply drinking water, air, and rocket fuel for future bases. They would also provide essential power for lunar bases.

Source link