Pakistan’s lunar satellite, iCube Qamar, has achieved a significant milestone by transmitting its first image from the lunar orbit after completing three lunar circuits.
Launched aboard China’s Chang’e-6 from Hainan, China, on May 3, iCube Qamar entered the lunar orbit on May 8, as confirmed by the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO).
Equipped with dual cameras, the satellite is capturing images of the moon from a distance of 200 kilometers. The Institute of Space Technology (IST), in collaboration with China’s Shanghai University SJTU and SUPARCO, has designed and developed the ICUBE-Q satellite.
Chang’e6, the sixth in China’s series of lunar exploration missions, set to land on the far side of the moon, collect surface samples, and return them to Earth for research. This mission is of particular importance to Pakistan as it also carries the Pakistani CubeSat Satellite iCube-Q, developed by IST.
CubeSats, characterized by their compact size and standardized design, miniature satellites constructed in a cubic shape with modular components adhering to specific size constraints. These lightweight satellites, often weighing just a few kilograms, deployed in space for various purposes.
The primary objective of CubeSats is to facilitate scientific research, technology development, and educational initiatives in space exploration. These satellites utilized for a broad spectrum of missions, including Earth observations, remote sensing, atmospheric research, communications, astronomy, and technology demonstration.
