In a historic moment for Pakistan’s space exploration endeavors, the iCube-Qamar satellite has transmitted the first-ever image of the moon, marking a significant milestone for the nation’s space program.
The Institute of Space Technology (IST) revealed this groundbreaking achievement to Geo News on Friday, underscoring the importance of this development. According to IST, Qamar, Pakistan’s maiden lunar satellite, successfully entered the moon’s orbit and completed its initial rotation in 12 hours, demonstrating its operational capabilities.
The iCube-Qamar satellite is poised to capture images of the lunar orbit from a distance of approximately 200 kilometers above the moon’s surface, with signals transmitted back to Earth covering a vast distance ranging between 360,000 to 400,000 kilometers.
“The iCube-Qamar has completed three orbits around the moon,” affirmed the Institute of Space Technology, highlighting the satellite’s successful deployment and operational status.
The transmission of the inaugural image comes just two days after IST announced the successful deployment of the satellite into orbit on May 8 at 1:14 pm Pakistan time. Scientists involved in the project hailed this achievement as a remarkable success, paving the way for further exploration and research endeavors.
Following deployment, the iCube-Qamar satellite will embark on its mission to capture images of specific lunar surfaces, operating within a carefully selected 12-hour elliptical orbit. This mission objective aligns with Pakistan’s ambitions to harness space technology for scientific research and exploration purposes.
The iCube-Qamar satellite was launched aboard China’s Chang’e-6 spacecraft from Hainan, China, on May 3, marking a significant collaboration between Pakistan’s Institute of Space Technology, China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), and Pakistan’s national space agency Suparco.
Dr. Khurram, a key figure in Pakistan’s space program, expressed optimism regarding the satellite’s capabilities, emphasizing its potential to provide invaluable insights through high-resolution lunar imagery. He underscored the significance of acquiring independent satellite images of the moon for research purposes, marking a milestone for Pakistan’s space exploration efforts.
Designed and developed by the Institute of Space Technology in collaboration with international partners, the iCube-Qamar orbiter is equipped with two optical cameras optimized for lunar surface imaging. Following rigorous qualification and testing, the orbiter was integrated into China’s Chang’e-6 mission, solidifying Pakistan’s presence in the realm of lunar exploration.
As Pakistan ventures further into space exploration, the successful transmission of the moon’s image by the iCube-Qamar satellite stands as a testament to the nation’s growing capabilities in space science and technology, heralding a new era of scientific discovery and exploration.
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