Pakistan’s lunar satellite, iCube Qamar, has sent its first image from orbit after successfully completing three rounds of the moon.
On May 3, the iCube Qamar was launched from Hainan, China, aboard the Chang’e-6. According to the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), iCube Qamar reached lunar orbit on May 8.
The satellite is equipped with two cameras that capture images of the moon from a distance of 200 kilometres.
Chang’e6
According to the Institute of Space Technology (IST), the satellite ICUBE-Q was designed and developed in collaboration with China’s Shanghai University (SJTU) and Pakistan’s national space agency SUPARCO.
Chang’e6 is the sixth in a series of Chinese lunar exploration missions.
Chang’6, China’s lunar mission, will land on the moon’s far side to collect surface samples before returning to Earth for research.
iCube-Q
The mission is significant for Pakistan because it will also transport a Pakistan CubeSat Satellite, iCube-Q, developed by IST.
CubeSats are small satellites with standardised designs. They have a cubic shape and are made up of modular components that must fit within certain dimensions.
These satellites, which typically weigh only a few kilogrammes, are deployed in space for a variety of purposes.
Cubesats are primarily designed to facilitate scientific research, technology development, and educational initiatives in space exploration.
These satellites serve a variety of missions, including Earth observation, remote sensing, atmospheric research, communications, astronomy, and technology demonstration.
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