Pakistan Makes History: iCube Qamar Successfully Enters Lunar Orbit

News Desk 

Islamabad: In collaboration with China, Pakistan has achieved a significant milestone in space exploration as its satellite, ‘iCube Qamar,’ successfully entered the moon’s orbit as part of the ‘Cheng E6’ space mission.

As reported by ‘Dawn News,’ the satellite will undergo a week-long testing phase to ensure its systems are functioning optimally while in orbit. These tests include evaluating the controllers, subsystems, and protocols of iCube Qamar.

It’s noteworthy that Pakistan, in conjunction with China’s space mission ‘Cheng E6,’ launched the iCube Qamar satellite into lunar orbit last week

 This launch, which took place at the Wencheng Space Center in Henan, China, marked Pakistan as the sixth country to accomplish such a feat.

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The launch of iCube Qamar occurred on May 3 at 2:27 pm, and the event was broadcasted live on Chinese media and the Institute of Space Technology’s website.

Emotional scenes unfolded at SPARCO’s command and control center, with applause and patriotic chants filling the air as the mission departed.

Developed in collaboration with Shanghai University of China and Pakistan’s National Space Agency ‘SPARCO,’ the iCube Qamar satellite marks a historic moment as part of the world’s first mission to retrieve samples from the far side of the Moon.

Equipped with two optical cameras, it will capture images of the Moon’s surface during its mission.

Following successful completion of the testing and qualification phase, ‘iCube Q’ was integrated into China’s ‘Chang’e-6’ mission.

Dr Khurram Khurshid, a member of the Core Committee at the Institute of Space Technology, discussed with Dawn News that Pakistan’s satellite mission is expected to orbit the moon for a duration of 3 to 6 months. Subsequently, Pakistan will possess its own satellite imagery of the moon for research purposes.

Dr. Khurram Khurshid clarified that while the satellite is owned by Pakistan and its data will be utilized by Pakistani scientists, it is being launched to the moon using China’s infrastructure, thereby allowing Chinese researchers access to the data as well.

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In comparison to India’s Chandrayaan mission, Dr Khurram Khurshid emphasized that iCube Qamar is a smaller-scale endeavor, focused on lunar orbit rather than landing on the moon.

He underscored the project’s significance as an initial step towards larger missions in the future.

Speaking with Geo News, Dr Khurram Khurshid highlighted the pioneering nature of the mission, as it aims to collect samples from the far side of the moon, a task never before attempted.

The mission is anticipated to span 53 days and will involve lunar orbiting, ascent, and return, with a target payload capacity of up to 2 kilograms of material.

Syed Samar Abbas, the General Manager of IST, highlighted that this mission holds significant potential for gathering crucial data on lunar weather, Earth, and magnetic fields.

He elaborated that in 2022, the Chinese National Space Agency, in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO), extended a rare opportunity for member nations to access lunar orbit at no cost.

During an interview with a private news channel, Samar Abbas disclosed that member nations, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Iran, Peru, South Korea, Thailand, and Turkey, submitted their proposals in response to APSCO’s offer. Among the eight submissions, only Pakistan’s project, proposed by the Institute of Space Technology, was selected for acceptance.