Pakistan to Launch First Lunar Mission with iCube Qamar Satellite

Pakistan's first satellite mission to the moon, iCube Qamar, is set to be launched on board China's Chang'E6 from Hainan, China, today.

Dr Khurram Khurshid, a member of the Core Committee at the Institute of Space Technology (IST), said the satellite will leave for the space mission at 2:18pm, according to Pakistan time.

Why this matters: This achievement marks a major milestone for Pakistan's space program, demonstrating its growing capabilities inspace technology and its commitment to advancing scientific knowledge. The success of this mission can also inspire other developing nations to invest in space exploration and research, potentially leading to new breakthroughs and discoveries.

The iCube Qamar cubesat was carried by the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket as part of China's Chang'e 6 lunar sample return mission. While the primary objective of the Chang'e 6 mission is to collect samples from the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon, a first-ever attempt in this region, the iCube Qamar cubesat aims to "capture moon surface images for research purposes."

The launch activity will be telecast live on the IST website at 12:50pm.

Speaking with Media, Dr Khurshid said that Pakistan's satellite mission will reach the lunar orbit in five days and will circle around the moon for three to six months.

He added that different pictures of the surface of the moon will be taken with the help of satellite after which Pakistan will have its own satellite images of the moon for research.

The satellite has been designed and developed by the IST in collaboration with China's Shanghai University and Pakistan's national space agency SUPARCO.

Key Takeaways

• Pakistan to launch its first lunar mission, iCube Qamar, from China's Wenchang Space launch site.
• iCube Qamar is a 10kg cubesat designed to capture moon surface images for research purposes.
• The mission is a collaboration between Pakistan, China, France, Italy, and the European Space Agency.
• iCube Qamar will reach lunar orbit in 5 days and circle the moon for 3-6 months, capturing data and images.