Pakistani astronaut to join China space station's Shenzhou-24 mission - Reuters

More in Space

• Earth's new mini-moon to leave orbit by December after months circling planet

  Hungarian astronomer Krisztián Sárneczky identified the 1-to-2-metre asteroid 2026 QQ8 months after it entered Earth's gravitational sphere of influence in April. Follow-up observations confirmed it is a harmless natural space rock rather than artificial debris. The object will soon break free to resume its independent 359-day orbit around the Sun.

  4 min read
• Pakistani astronaut to join China’s next space station mission

  Beijing is opening its orbital outpost to international partners for the first time under the Belt and Road Initiative framework. The selected payload specialist will conduct a short-term mission aboard the Shenzhou-24 flight before returning on another vessel. This historic milestone underscores deepening bilateral aerospace ties as China accelerates its broader ambitions for lunar exploration.

  2 min read
• Astronomers spot white dwarf star with two rings of planetary debris

  Located 1,600 light-years away in the constellation Virgo, star J1328−1450 was observed using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile. Unlike 21 previously identified debris-surrounded white dwarfs with solitary discs, this system features a novel dual configuration shaped by surviving embedded rocky bodies. The findings provide critical insight into the destructive gravitational forces that could reshape our own solar system after the sun collapses.

  3 min read