Pakistani Astronaut Set to Become First Foreigner Aboard China's Tiangong Station

A Pakistani astronaut will join the crew of the Shenzhou 24 spacecraft and become the first foreign national to board China's Tiangong space station, Chinese state media reported on November 7. The announcement marks a shift toward international crews on China's orbital outpost.

The decision was announced Saturday by Chinese state media. It represents the first time Beijing has opened its space station to a crew member from another country, a move that mirrors the international partnerships that have long defined the International Space Station.

The astronaut, a Pakistani national, will fly aboard Shenzhou 24. The flight will make the astronaut the first foreigner to board Tiangong. State media confirmed the selection in its November 7 report, without further crew details disclosed in the announcement.

China opening its station to a foreign crew member is a diplomatic and soft-power milestone. The step signals Beijing's intent to build a bloc of partner nations around its orbital outpost as the ISS nears retirement, and it reflects a broader shift toward international crews on Tiangong.

Attention now turns to which nation Beijing invites aboard next, with each selection carrying its own geopolitical weight.