Nov. 9 — China’s foreign ministry said a Pakistani astronaut will fly as a payload specialist on the Shenzhou-24 mission, conduct a short-duration in-orbit stay and return aboard Shenzhou-23. Beijing called the mission the first joint flight between Chinese and foreign astronauts and the first visit by a foreign national to the Chinese space station, describing it as a milestone in China–Pakistan ties as the two mark their 75th diplomatic anniversary and saying it will deepen space and broader c

Nov. 9 — China’s foreign ministry said a Pakistani astronaut will fly as a payload specialist on the Shenzhou-24 mission, conduct a short-duration in-orbit stay and return aboard Shenzhou-23. Beijing called the mission the first joint flight between Chinese and foreign astronauts and the first visit by a foreign national to the Chinese space station, describing it as a milestone in China–Pakistan ties as the two mark their 75th diplomatic anniversary and saying it will deepen space and broader cooperation.