A Pakistani astronaut will join China's Shenzhou-24 crewed spaceflight mission as a payload specialist, marking the first time a foreign astronaut will visit China's space station, the China Manned Space Agency said on Saturday.

The astronaut will undertake a short on-orbit flight before returning to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft.

The mission will mark the first joint spaceflight involving Chinese and foreign astronauts in the history of China's manned space program.

China and Pakistan officially launched the selection process for Pakistani astronauts in February 2025, when the two countries signed an agreement on the selection and training of Pakistani astronauts and their participation in missions to the Chinese space station.

Following a rigorous selection process consisting of preliminary screening, secondary evaluation and final selection, two Pakistani candidates were chosen as reserve astronauts.

After completing their training and evaluations in China, one of the two will be selected to participate in the crewed spaceflight mission, while the other will serve as the backup.

(With input from Xinhua)