A Pakistani astronaut will become the first foreign national aboard China’s Tiangong space station, as Beijing steps up space diplomacy amid a burgeoning battle with the United States for supremacy in orbit.

Chinas Shenzhou 20 mission has docked with the Tiangong space station. The crew of three astronauts launched from Jiuquan and arrived on April 24. Their stay will last six months. This is Chinas ninth crewed mission to Tiangong.

A spaceship carrying three astronauts docked Thursday with China’s space station in the latest crew rotation, marking a further step in the country’s ambitions for a crewed mission to the moon and explore Mars.