After the successful launch of the country’s first lunar satellite, iCUBE Qamar, Pakistan is set to launch another satellite, MM1, on May 30.
This satellite, a joint project between SUPARCO and the National Space Agency, will contribute to the latest communication system, enhancing 5G internet services in the South Asian country.
Lately, iCUBE Qamar entered the moon’s orbit and is operating in extreme temperatures as low as minus 100 degrees Celsius.
The mission also beamed back first-ever pictures with power constraints. It will provide crucial data on crater locations, water, and traces of ice on the moon’s surface through surface-level analysis capabilities, transmitting images at a modest 1 kbps.
The Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission commonly referred to as SUPARCO, is an agency of the Government of Pakistan responsible for the national space program.
Established in 1961 in Karachi to learn the art of rocketry and high-altitude research from the United States, the agency worked to develop the capacity for a national satellite program, eventually launching Pakistan’s first satellite from China in 1990. The agency was also an early participant and competitor in a rocket development program sponsored by the Ministry of Defence of Pakistan.
