In a major milestone for Pakistan’s space programme, the country’s first satellite, the iCube Qamar, has created history by transmitting its first image from lunar orbit.
The iCube Moon satellite, developed by Pakistani scientists and engineers, has successfully captured the first images of the Moon from orbit, providing a unique view of the Moon’s surface.
The satellite sent the first image from the orbit of the Moon on May 3, seven days after its launch, the first image of the Sun was taken by iCube Moon, confirmed the spokesperson of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Group (Suparco), which developed. satellite in cooperation with Shanghai University of China.
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) held a special ceremony to celebrate the success of the mission. CNSA authorities officially presented the first satellite image to the Pakistani ambassador, marking the two countries’ strong cooperation in space exploration.
Dr Khurram Khurshid, Chairman of the Institute of Space Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering, gave details of the satellite’s journey and revealed that after arriving in space, the iCube’s camera is strategically positioned to capture images of sun. Finally, the satellite enters lunar orbit, where it captures images of the moon’s surface, including the first images sent from this orbit.
Pakistan launched its first mission to the moon on May 3 in the International Space Race for exploration. The mission was launched with Chinese assistance from China’s Hainan Space Center. The satellite, which weighs around 7 kg, was developed over two years by the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Institute of Space Technology (IST), Islamabad.
The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Group (Suparco) has launched China’s first lunar orbiter, the Chang’e 6 mission.
