Pakistan’s first satellite, iCube Qamar, has successfully reached lunar orbit in a historic feat for the space programme, achieving a major milestone.
ICube Qamar was launched into lunar orbit on May 3 aboard China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft.
According to the spokesman of Suparco, the agency responsible for developing the satellite, after reaching the designated orbit, iCube Qamar began to work on its design. Data from the satellite subsystem is reported to provide excellent results indicating that the satellite’s imaging payload is operating successfully.
The core team of the iCube Satellite project is at a control center in China to monitor the satellite’s arrival in lunar orbit. Kortem, another key player in the mission, oversees the operation from the control center, ensuring a smooth transition of the satellite into its designated orbit.
Looking ahead, Suparco expects iCube Qamar to send its first image from the Moon on May 16. In the next seven days, the satellite’s control subsystem will be thoroughly tested and ensure its operational capability.
The mission was launched from China’s Hainan Spaceport. The 7 kilogram satellite was developed over two years by the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Institute of Space Technology (IST), Islamabad.
The satellite launch was broadcast live on IST’s website and social media platforms. With the launch of the mission, Pakistan became the sixth country in the world to go to the moon. The National Anthem was played as the ICube Qamar launched its mission.
