Pakistan aims to challenge India, to send its own 'Chandrayaan' on this date, know all about this mission

Boosting its space programme, Pakistan is gearing up for the launch of its inaugural Moon mission.

Scheduled for May 3, Pakistan's Institute of Space Technology (IST) announced the iCube-Q lunar mission, set to embark aboard China’s Chang’e 6 lunar probe, Dawn reported.

Developed in collaboration with China’s Shanghai University SJTU and Pakistan’s national space agency Suparco, the satellite, equipped with two optical cameras, will capture images of the Moon’s surface.

Confirming the milestone, the Chinese embassy in Pakistan highlighted that the Chang’e 6 lunar probe will carry payloads from France, the European Space Agency (ESA), and Pakistan, completing a round trip.

In a notable quote, the embassy stated, “Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, #SUPARCO’s logo is seen on China’s most powerful rocket #LongMarch5! Together with China’s #ChangE6 lunar probe and payloads from France and #ESA, Pakistan’s CubeSat is ready to go to the moon in just a few days!”

Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, #SUPARCO’s logo is seen on China’s most powerful rocket #LongMarch5! Together with China’s #ChangE6 lunar probe and payloads from France and #ESA, Pakistan’s CubeSat is ready to go to the moon in just a few days! pic.twitter.com/tlOebD5wVf

— Chinese Emb Pakistan (@CathayPak) April 29, 2024

Chang’e 6 marks China’s sixth lunar exploration mission and will depart from Hainan province, aiming to collect soil and rock samples from the Moon's dark side—an unprecedented feat in lunar exploration.