Pakistan’s satellite is going to the moon on a Chinese rocket – 2024-05-07 03:41:50

Pakistan has sent a satellite to the moon for the first time in its history. China is assisting Pakistan in this satellite mission named iCube-Q. The satellite was launched from Hainan, China on Friday.

Pakistan’s satellite is being carried on China’s largest rocket Long March-5. The same rocket sent the Chinese Chandrayaan Chang’e-6 to the moon. It is expected to collect soil and rocks from the dark side of the moon and bring them back to Earth.

On this day, the launch program was broadcasted live on the website of Pakistan’s Institute of Space Technology (IST) and on China’s state television.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif congratulated the people and scientists of his country after the successful launch of the satellite. He said in a statement that iCube-Q is Pakistan’s first mission to the moon. Just as Pakistani scientists, engineers and skilled workers have demonstrated their expertise in nuclear technology in the past, they are proving their mettle in this mission as well.

IST core committee member Dr. Khurram Khurshid said the satellite will reach the moon’s orbit in five days. It will orbit the moon for the next three to six months.

He said that the satellite will send images of the lunar surface and provide information from there for research in Pakistan. iCube-Q carried two optical cameras to photograph the lunar surface.

The satellite was designed and built with the joint support of China’s Shanghai University and Pakistan’s National Space Agency Supercore.

Source: Dawn, Al-Jazeera
MKR/KAA/