Pakistan launches 1st ever lunar mission

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Pakistan on Friday launched its first-ever lunar mission iCube-Q aboard China’s Chang’e 6 from the Chinese city of Hainan.

The iCUBE-Q, or CubeSats, was launched at around 05:27 p.m. China time (0927 GMT) from the Wenchang Space Launch Site, aboard Chang’e-6 mission which blasted off into space on the Long March5 Y8 rocket.

Pakistan's top diplomat in Beijing Khalil Hashmi confirmed that the launch was "successful."

It will be "deployed in Moon orbit on 8 May," Hashmi said on X.

The iCUBE-Q orbiter carries two optical cameras to image the lunar surface.

Pakistan's Institute of Space Technology, in collaboration with China’s Shanghai University and Pakistan national space agency SUPARCO, jointly developed the iCUBE-Q.

The primary purpose of CubeSats is to facilitate scientific research, technology development, and educational initiatives in space exploration.

According to China National Space Administration, the probe will collect samples from the far side of the moon, making the mission the first of its kind in human history.

Ahead of the launch, some 50 officials from 12 countries including Pakistan, France, Italy, UN and the European Space Agency, attended a conference in Hainan about the space and possible cooperation among different nations.

The guests later gathered in Haikou to witness the launch of Chang’e-6 lunar probe.

Besides CubeSat from Pakistan, the Chang’e-6 mission also carries a number of other international payloads to the moon, including the European Space Agency's lunar surface ion analyzer, France's radon detection instrument, Italy's laser corner reflector.