The Institute of Space Technology has announced that iCube-Qamar, Pakistan’s maiden lunar satellite mission, has achieved a significant milestone by capturing and transmitting the first-ever image from the lunar orbit. This accomplishment marks a significant milestone in Pakistan’s space program and is a testament to the country’s growing space capabilities.
This groundbreaking accomplishment marks a pivotal moment in Pakistan’s space exploration journey. The satellite, iCube-Qamar, not only entered the lunar orbit but also completed its rotation within a remarkable span of 12 hours, as confirmed by the Institute of Space Technology (IST).
According to IST, iCube-Qamar is equipped to capture images of the lunar orbit from a distance of 200 kilometers above the moon’s surface. The signals transmitted by the satellite will travel an impressive distance of 360,000 to 400,000 kilometers before being received on Earth.
The core team behind iCube-Qamar, comprising Dr. Rehan Mahmood, Dr. Qamarul Islam, and Dr. Khurram Khurshid, celebrated the achievement of receiving the first image sent by the satellite on Friday, May 10, 2024.
This milestone comes just two days after IST confirmed the successful deployment of the satellite into orbit on May 8, 2024, at 1:14 pm Pakistan time. Scientists involved in the project hailed the development as a resounding success.
The iCube-Qamar, launched aboard China’s Chang’e-6 from Hainan, China, on May 3, represents a collaborative effort between IST, China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), and Pakistan’s national space agency, Suparco.
Designed to image specific lunar surfaces, iCube-Qamar carries two optical cameras onboard. With this achievement, Pakistan is set to possess its repository of satellite images of the moon, facilitating further research and exploration endeavors.
