Pakistan’s first satellite mission ‘iCube Qamar’ has successfully entered the moon’s orbit and its first image has been released.
Institute of Space Technology informed Geo News that iCube Qamar successfully entered lunar orbit on May 8 and has completed three orbits around the moon.
The mission will orbit the Moon for about three to six months.
According to the Institute of Space Technology, the first Pakistani satellite completes its orbit in 12 hours. Qamar’s signals will be received on Earth after traveling a distance of 360,000 to 400,000 km.
The spokesman said that in-orbit testing of iCube Qamar’s controllers, subsystems, and protocols is ongoing. The mission will remain in experimental stages for five to six days after reaching the lunar orbit.
iCube Qamar was sent into space with the Chinese mission Cheng 6 on May 3 from the Hainan Space Launch Site.
Pakistan is about to send a satellite mission to the moon with help from China.
Talking to Geo News, Dr. Khurram Khurshid, a member of the Core Committee of the Institute of Space Technology, said that Pakistan’s first satellite mission will be sent to the moon on May 3 at 12:50 pm from China’s Hainan Space Launch Site. The launch of satellite ICUBE-Q will be telecast live on the website.
Institute of Space Technology (IST) has said that satellite ICUBE-Q has been designed and developed by IST in collaboration with China’s Shanghai University and Pakistan’s national space agency SUPARCO.
ICUBE-Q orbiter carries two optical cameras to image the lunar surface. Following successful qualification and testing, ICUBE-Q has now been integrated with the Chang’e6 mission. Chang’e6 is the sixth in a series of China’s lunar exploration missions.
The launch activity will be telecast live on the IST website and social media platforms, informs The Express Tribune.
Chang’6 will touch down on the moon’s far side to collect samples from the surface and return to Earth for research. The mission holds significance for Pakistan as it will also take a Pakistan CubeSat Satellite iCube-Q, developed by IST.
CubeSats are miniature satellites typically characterised by their small size and standardised design. They are constructed in a cubic shape, consisting of modular components that adhere to specific size constraints.
The primary purpose of cubesats is to facilitate scientific research, technology development, and educational initiatives in space exploration.
These satellites are utilised for a wide range of missions, including Earth observations, remote sensing, atmospheric research, communications, astronomy, and technology demonstration.
Due to their compact size and relatively low cost compared to traditional satellites, CubeSats offer opportunities for universities, research institutions, and commercial entities to participate in space missions and gather valuable data for scientific advancement.
In a bid to ensure consistent prices across provinces, Muhammad Sami Saeed, the Caretaker Minister for Planning, urged Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners on Tuesday to rigorously utilise the Decision Support System (DSS) app developed by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) for effective price monitoring.
According to a press release issued today, Muhammad Sami Saeed chaired a meeting of the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) in Islamabad.
The gathering focused on essential aspects such as the prices and supply of essential commodities, the margin between wholesale and retail prices, and the availability of necessary items.
During the meeting, the Chief Statistician from PBS presented the price movements of 51 essential items collected from the markets in 17 cities.
Minister Saeed stressed the importance of maintaining price stability across provinces and urged participants to oversee the supply of essential items, available stock levels, and pricing mechanisms.
Highlighting the critical role of administrative oversight and monitoring, Minister Saeed emphasised the need for vigilance in ensuring price stability.
The meeting also explored the potential utilization of remote sensing technology provided by SUPARCO to enhance monitoring of cropped areas and predict the supply situation of essential food items in the provinces.
Encouraging the exploration and implementation of remote sensing capabilities, the minister aimed to strengthen monitoring and oversight capacities.
He underscored the importance of continued vigilance and proactive measures to address fluctuations in commodity prices and ensure a smooth supply chain.
Representatives from the Ministry of Industries and Commerce, utility stores, and provincial governments attended the meeting, signifying a collaborative effort to maintain stability in commodity prices.
