Pakistani astronaut to be first foreigner on China's space station

A Pakistani astronaut will board the Shenzhou 24 mission and become the first foreigner to visit China’s Tiangong space station, the Associated Press reported.

The mission, which has not been given a launch date, will mark the first time someone who is not a Chinese national has visited the station. Tiangong, which means “Heavenly Palace,” has been fully operational since late 2022 and is staffed by rotating crews of three Chinese taikonauts.

China has not previously allowed foreign astronauts on its space station. The International Space Station, by contrast, has hosted astronauts from 19 countries through partnerships with NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency and JAXA. China was excluded from the ISS by a 2011 U.S. law known as the Wolf Amendment.

The choice of Pakistan for the first foreign visit reflects a deepening partnership between the two countries. Pakistan and China signed a space cooperation agreement in 2023 that included training, satellite development and astronaut exchange. The astronaut selected for the Shenzhou 24 mission has not been named.

What the coverage missed

The coverage focused on the milestone. The part that got less attention is the geopolitical statement it makes.

The International Space Station is aging. NASA plans to retire it by 2030, though the timeline has slipped repeatedly. When it does retire, Tiangong will be the only permanently crewed station in orbit. The countries that have relied on the ISS for research and training will need a new partner.

China is positioning itself as that partner. The Pakistani astronaut is the first visible step. By opening Tiangong to a foreign crew member, China is demonstrating that its station is not a closed facility. It is an alternative to the ISS for countries that are not part of the U.S.-led space coalition.

The choice of Pakistan is not random. Pakistan is China’s closest military and economic partner in South Asia. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has invested tens of billions in Pakistani infrastructure. Space cooperation is the next domain in a relationship that already spans trade, energy and defense.

But the significance extends beyond Pakistan. If China opens Tiangong to one foreign astronaut, it can open it to others. Countries in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America that do not have independent space programs now have a second option for human spaceflight. The U.S. offers the ISS through Artemis Accords partnerships. China offers Tiangong. The choice is political.

What I think

The first foreigner on a space station is always a political act. The first foreigner on the ISS was Dennis Tito, an American businessman who paid Russia for the trip in 2001. The first foreigner on Tiangong will be a Pakistani government astronaut. The difference tells you everything about the two programs.

The ISS was built by a coalition. Tiangong was built by one country. Opening a national facility to a foreigner is a gesture of control, not of sharing. China is deciding who gets to visit, and the decision is based on alignment, not merit. Pakistan is not a space power. It does not have a space program that would justify a seat on any other basis than partnership.

That is not a criticism. It is a description. The U.S. did the same thing with the ISS for decades, allocating seats through bilateral agreements that reflected political priorities. The Russian segment was the only path for American astronauts to reach orbit after the space shuttle retired in 2011. Space has always been political.

What is changing is the alternative. For 25 years, the ISS was the only game in town. When it retires, Tiangong will be the only permanent station. The countries that are not part of the Artemis Accords, the U.S.-led lunar program, will have nowhere else to go. China is building the infrastructure now so that when that day comes, the choice is already made.

The Pakistani astronaut is a down payment. The mission has not launched. The astronaut has not been named. But the announcement has already done its work. It tells every country watching that Tiangong is open, and that the door is in Beijing.