Pakistan launches first lunar orbit mission 'iCube Qamar'

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2024-05-03T14:34:00+05:00

Islamabad (Web Desk/Agencies): Pakistan’s first lunar orbit mission, ICube-Qamar was launched from China's Chang'E6 from Hainan.

According to Institute of Space Technology (IST), the satellite has been designed and developed by IST in collaboration with China's Shanghai University and Pakistan's national space agency Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO).

The launch activity was telecast live on the IST website as well as Chinese state television.

The primary purpose of CubeSats is to facilitate scientific research, technology development, and educational initiatives in space exploration.

Chang’6, China’s Lunar Mission will touch down on the moon’s far side to collect samples from the surface and return to earth for research.

The mission holds significance for Pakistan as it will also take a Pakistan CubeSat Satellite iCube-Q, developed by IST.

The iCube-Q orbiter carries two optical cameras to image the lunar surface. The module is a cube satellite or CubeSat, miniature satellites typically characterised by their small size and standardised cubic design.

Due to their compact size and relatively low cost compared to traditional satellites, CubeSats offered opportunities for universities, research institutions and commercial entities to participate in space missions and gather valuable data for scientific advancement and innovation.

According to a news release issued by IST, the opportunity to release CubeSat in Lunar orbit from Chang-E`6 mission was offered by China National Space Agency (CNSA) through Asia Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) to APSCO member states.

After thorough evaluation, Pakistan’s proposal was accepted out of all APSCO member states.

The design, development and qualification of ICUBE-Q was led by faculty members and students of the IST in collaboration with China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and support from SUPARCO.

The iCube-Q carried two cameras as payload for imaging Lunar surface and Earth/Moon images from Lunar orbit besides having 3-axis altitude control for desired orientation, onboard computer, thermal control, telemetry and tele-command and payload data communication modules for connecting through deep space network.

Chang’E6 rocket will take five Earth days to reach Moon orbit.  iCube-Q will be deployed on May 08 in a carefully selected 12-hour elliptical orbit that will allow imaging of the desired Lunar surfaces.

IST is a federally chartered university that pioneered the development of CubeSats in Pakistan by launching its first CubeSat “ICUBE-1” in Low Earth Orbit in November 2013.

Head of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at IST and co-lead on the satellite project, Khurram Khurshid said that this is Pakistan’s first deep space mission which is a historic moment that would pave the way for launching other deep space missions in the future.

Around 100 students, along with the faculty members, contributed to various aspects of the satellite, including electrical engineering for electronics, aerospace engineering for control systems, computer science for software and mechanical/materials engineering for identifying materials suitable for the moon’s harsh environment, he said.

According to the timeline of the launch of Chang’e 6 probe, at 5:27pm (BJT) on May 03, the Long March 5 Y8 rocket, carrying Chang’e-6 spacecraft, blasted off from Wenchang Space Launch Site.

About 37 minutes after the liftoff, the Chang’e 6 probe separated from the rocket, and was sent to the Earth-Moon transfer orbit with a perigee of 200km and an apogee of about 380,000km.

Next, it will make a soft landing on the far side of the Moon, to collect lunar samples and carry out scientific detection work.

After the samples are sealed in a container, the ascender will take off from the moon and dock with the orbiter-reentry capsule combination in lunar orbit. The re-entry capsule will then carry the samples back to Earth. The entire process is expected to last about 53 days.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have felicitated the entire nation on the successful launch of first lunar orbit mission.

In a statement, President Zardari congratulated the Institute of Space Technology, SUPARCO and the China National Space Administration on this achievement.

He said the successful launch of the spacecraft will be a milestone for Pakistan's space programme. President Zardari said the entire nation is proud of this success.

The president also commended the cooperation between Pakistan and China in the field of aerospace. He said Pakistan has to progress a lot in this domain.

President Zardari hoped that Pakistan's space research institutes and scientists would make the country proud with more hard work, dedication and planning in the field of aerospace.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a statement, said ICUBE-Q satellite is Pakistan's first step in the space.

He said Pakistani scientists, engineers and skilled workers are proving their mettle in this field like the expertise they exhibited in the nuclear technology.

Shehbaz Sharif 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.

“The fragrance of Pakistan-China friendship, which is higher than Himalayas, deeper than ocean, and sweeter than honey, has crossed the frontiers of space,” PM Shehbaz said.

He said acceptance of Pakistan's project out of the eight countries is an acknowledgement of our scientists and experts.

“After this significant achievement Pakistan has entered a new era of purposeful space usage,” the premier said, adding that this triumph will further augment Pakistan's capabilities in the field of satellite communication and create opportunities in the domain of scientific research, economic development and national security.

The prime minister said the sons of Pakistan proved that they are capable of conquering the space.

He expressed the confidence that Pakistan will achieve the economic and space excellence like it demonstrated on May28, 1998.

PM Shehbaz said that Pakistan's excellence in science and technology and modern skills is need of the hour.

He expressed the determination to facilitate the youth to excel in science and technology and modern skills so that Pakistan will lead in the world of inventions.

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