ISLAMABAD: On Friday, May 3, at 12:50 PM PST, China’s Chang’E6 spacecraft will launch Pakistan’s historic lunar mission, known as ICUBE-Q, from Hainan, China. The satellite ICUBE-Q was reportedly built and developed by IST in association with Pakistan’s national space agency SUPARCO and China’s Shanghai University SJTU. The lunar surface is imaged by two optical cameras carried by the ICUBE-Q orbiter. Now that qualification and testing have gone well, ICUBE-Q has been successfully integrated into the Chang’e6 mission. The sixth in China’s series of lunar exploration missions is called Chang’e6.
Live coverage of the launch event will be available on the IST website and social media pages. China’s Lunar Mission, Chang’6, will land on the Moon’s far side to gather surface samples and bring them back to Earth for analysis. Pakistan would benefit from the mission since it will carry a Pakistan CubeSat Satellite, called iCube-Q, which was created by IST. Small satellites known as “CubeSats” are typified by their uniform design and compact size. They are built in the form of a cube and modular parts that follow predetermined dimensions. These satellites are regularly placed in orbit for a variety of uses and only weigh a few kilos.
CubeSats are primarily used for scientific research, technological development, and education. They are utilized in various missions such as Earth observation, remote sensing, atmospheric research, communications, astronomy, and technology demonstrations related to space exploration. CubeSats have the potential to enable universities, research institutes, and commercial entities to engage in space missions and collect important data for scientific advancement and innovation because of their small size and comparatively low cost when compared to regular satellites. In addition to providing access to space for a wider range of users and encouraging cooperation within the space community, they act as testing grounds for novel ideas and technologies.
