iCube Qamar
\nSatellite will reach lunar orbit in five days
\nISLAMABAD
\nIn a historic achievement for Pakistan, the country\u2019s first satellite mission to the moon, iCube Qamar, has been launched on board China\u2019s Chang\u2019E6 from Hainan, China. The launch activity was telecast live on the IST website as well as Chinese state television.
\nFollowing the launch, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif felicitated the nation and the scientists for launching the first lunar orbit mission.
\nIn a statement, the PM said ICUBE-Q satellite is Pakistan\u2019s first step in space.
\nThe PM said Pakistani scientists, engineers and skilled workers are proving their mettle in this field like the expertise they exhibited in nuclear technology.
\nHe expressed tribute to the core committee of the Institute of Space Technology, including Dr Khurram Khurshid, all the members of the SUPARCO team and students, who participated in this project.
\nWhile congratulating students and scientists on the launch, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said: \u201cToday\u2019s launch from Hainan in China, is a good example of countries and organisations coming together for space cooperation and shared benefits.\u201d
\nSatellite to reach lunar orbit in five days
\nDr Khurram Khurshid, a member of the Core Committee at the Institute of Space Technology (IST), told Geo News that Pakistan\u2019s satellite \u2014 being carried by China\u2019s Long March-5 rocket \u2014 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.
\nThe satellite has been designed and developed by the IST in collaboration with China\u2019s Shanghai University and Pakistan\u2019s national space agency SUPARCO.
\nICUBE-Q orbiter carries two optical cameras to image the lunar surface. Following successful qualification and testing, ICUBE-Q has now been integrated with the Chang\u2019e6 mission. Chang\u2019e6 is the sixth in a series of China\u2019s lunar exploration missions. Chang\u20196, China\u2019s Lunar Mission will touch down on the moon\u2019s far side to collect samples from the surface and return to earth for research.
\nThe mission holds significance for Pakistan as it will also take a Pakistan CubeSat Satellite iCube-Q, developed by IST. CubeSats are miniature satellites typically characterised by their small size and standardised design.
\nThey are constructed in a cubic shape, consisting of modular components that adhere to specific size constraints.
\nThese satellites often weigh no more than a few kilogrammes and are deployed in space for various purposes.
\nThe primary purpose of CubeSats is to facilitate scientific research, technology development, and educational initiatives in space exploration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
iCube Qamar Satellite will reach lunar orbit in five days ISLAMABAD In a historic achievement for Pakistan, the country\u2019s first satellite mission to the moon, iCube Qamar, has been launched on board China\u2019s Chang\u2019E6 from Hainan, China. The launch activity was telecast live on the IST website as well as Chinese state television. Following the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":404449,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-404424","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n