China to Fly First Foreign Astronaut to Tiangong, a Pakistani, Within Weeks

Two candidates, one seat

Both candidates were picked through a multi-stage process of preliminary screening, secondary evaluation and final selection, which concluded in April 2026. Ali and Daud are both from SUPARCO, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission.

Once they finish their training in China, one of the two will be assigned to fly while the other stands by as backup.

Agreement dates from February 2025

The arrangement began formally in February 2025, when China and Pakistan signed an accord providing for Pakistani astronauts to be trained and chosen for Tiangong missions.

The Shenzhou 24 flight is described as China's 18th crewed spaceflight, in which three taikonauts are due to join the Tianhe core module. As with earlier Chinese crewed flights, the crew roster is not expected to be published until the eve of launch, though the Pakistani astronaut's name is an exception.

A wider shift in bilateral ties

The report presents the agreement as an expansion of China's ambitions in space and a change in the partnership between the two countries. Their cooperation had previously centred on ground-based infrastructure and now turns to joint deep-space exploration.

For Pakistan, the flight would mark its first astronaut in orbit, ahead of India by close to a year, since India's first Gaganyaan crewed mission is expected no sooner than the second quarter of 2027. For China, it is a step toward the sort of international collaboration associated with NASA and the European Space Agency.

Open questions

• Which of the two candidates will be assigned to the mission?
• Will the launch proceed on the reported timeline?