Pakistan’s first lunar mission, known as ICUBE-Q, was successfully launched today (Friday) on board China’s Chang’e 6 lunar probe from Hainan, China.
The satellite has been designed and developed by IST in collaboration with China’s Shanghai University and Pakistan’s national space agency SUPARCO.
The launch activity was telecast on the IST website. The mission blasted off with more than an hour delay due to weather conditions.
Talking to media, a senior official of SUPRCO confirmed that the mission was successfully launched from China and he also congratulated the people of Pakistan.
He said the mission is expected to reach the orbit as per the set schedule as weather conditions are favourable so far.
The primary purpose of CubeSats is to facilitate scientific research, technology development, and educational initiatives in space exploration.
On Chang’e-6, China will also carry payloads from France, Italy, and Sweden, while Chang’e-7 will bear payloads from Russia, Switzerland and Thailand.
Pakistan’s ICUBE-Q orbiter is poised to capture stunning images of the lunar surface and is equipped with two advanced optical cameras.
ICUBE-Q has successfully integrated with China’s Chang’E6 mission after successful testing, making it the sixth chapter in China’s ongoing lunar exploration program.
