HONG KONG/BEIJING: A Pakistani astronaut will join China's space station on this year's Shenzhou-24 mission, as part of bilateral cooperation under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese state media reported on Saturday. The historic development marks a major milestone in bilateral relations between Pakistan and China, extending their strategic partnership from terrestrial infrastructure and economic corridors into the final frontier of outer space exploration.

The first foreign visitor to the space station will participate as a payload specialist in the mission, broadcaster CCTV reported, citing the China Manned Space Agency. China has not officially identified the astronaut yet, but pilots Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud have spent months training at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in Beijing, a Pakistani space agency official stated.

Beijing has not yet announced the exact date of the mission, but preparations are said to be moving forward at a rapid pace under strict security and technical protocols established by both nations. CCTV stated that after completing a short-term in-orbit flight, the astronaut will return to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft.

This marks the first joint spaceflight featuring both Chinese and foreign astronauts in the history of China's manned space programme, representing a significant step under Beijing's space diplomacy. Defense and space analysts in Islamabad and Beijing have praised the initiative, noting that it will significantly boost Pakistan's technological capabilities and inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers in the country.

The training regimen for the selected candidates has been grueling, involving high-G centrifuge training, survival simulations, and zero-gravity adaptation exercises designed to prepare them for the harsh realities of orbital flight. Further announcements regarding the exact launch timeline, mission objectives, and the final identity of the chosen astronaut are expected to be released jointly by Islamabad and Beijing in the coming weeks.