Cash-strapped Pakistan flies to the moon for first time by hitching ride to China's Chang’e-6 mission

Pakistan, which has been reeling under severe economic crisis, on Friday, launched its first satellite mission to the moon, iCube Qamar. For this, it tagged along China’s Chang’E6 mission.

China launched its sixth lunar exploration mission, the Chang’E6 from Hainan on May 3, on board the Long March 5 rocket.

A report by Geo News quoted Dr Khurram Khurshid, a member of the Core Committee at the Institute of Space Technology (IST) saying that Pakistan’s satellite will reach the lunar orbit in five days and will circle around the moon for about three to six months.

What will Pakistan’s satellite do on the moon?

Pakistan’s CubeSat Satellite iCUBE-Q is designed and developed by IST in collaboration with China’s Shanghai University and Pakistan’s national space agency SUPARCO.

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iCUBE-Q satellite is said to be carrying two optical cameras that will capture different pictures of the surface of the moon and help the country have “its own” satellite images of the celestial body for research, Khurshid said.

But why China is taking Pakistan’s satellite to the moon?

In 2022, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) extended a distinctive opportunity to member states via the Asia Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) to include a student-built payload on the Chang’e 6 mission bound for the moon.

Pakistan’s ICUBE-Q was chosen for it.

More about Pakistan’s first satellite on the way to the moon

CubeSats are miniature satellites typically characterised by their small size and standardised design. They are constructed in a cubic shape, consisting of modular components that follow specific size constraints.

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Also Read: Quicksplained: Pakistan's first moon mission and its China connection

The weight of these satellites is often not more than a few kilograms and they are deployed in space for multiple purposes, with the primary being facilitating scientific research, development of technology, and educational initiatives in space exploration.

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