Pakistan’s first space mission to leave for moon today

Preparations to send Pakistan’s first satellite mission to the moon have been completed, as the country’s first satellite mission will be sent to the moon at 12:50 pm.

The launch event will be live-streamed on the IST website and IST social media platforms. Pakistan’s historic lunar mission (ICUBE-Q) will take off from Hainan, China at 12:50 PM today on Chang’e 6, China.

According to IST, the ICUBE-Q satellite has been designed and developed by IST in collaboration with Shanghai University of China and Sparco, the National Space Agency of Pakistan.

The ICUBE-Q orbiter carries two optical cameras to image the lunar surface. After successful qualification and testing, ICUBE-Q is now integrated with the Chang’e 6 mission.

Chang’e6 is the sixth in China’s series of lunar exploration missions. The launch event will be telecast live on the IST website and IST social media platforms. China’s Chang’e 6 lunar mission will return to Earth to collect samples from the lunar surface and conduct research.

This mission is of importance to Pakistan as it will also carry the Pakistan CubeSat satellite iCube-Q developed by IST. CubeSats are small satellites typically characterized by their small size and standard design. They are made in a cubic shape.

These satellites often weigh no more than a few kilograms and are deployed in space for various purposes. The primary purpose of CubeSats is to facilitate scientific research, technology development, and educational initiatives in space exploration.

These satellites are used for a wide range of missions including Earth observations, remote sensing, environmental research, communications, astronomy, and technology demonstration.

Because of their compact size and relatively low cost compared to traditional satellites, CubeSats provide opportunities for universities, research institutes, and commercial enterprises to participate in space missions and collect valuable data for scientific development and innovation.

They serve as platforms for testing new technologies and concepts, enable access to space for a wide range of users, and promote collaboration within the space community.