National Space Program

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

The iCube-Q satellite has been developed by IST in collaboration with China’s Shanghai University SJTU and Suparco, which is Pakistan's national space agency.

 

[ghazi52]

Pakistan’s iCube-Qamar beams back first images from moon’s orbit​

Nadir Guramani
May 10, 2024

The first lunar image captured by Pakistan’s inaugural lunar satellite iCube-Qamar shows the moon. — Suparco/CNSA
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaMc238IiRov8okfYy3n
Pakistan’s inaugural lunar satellite iCube-Qamar on Friday transmitted the first-ever images captured by it from the lunar orbit, the national space agency said.

The satellite, part of China’s Chang’e-6 lunar mission, was launched from the Hainan province on May 3 and had successfully entered the moon’s orbit at 1:14pm on May 8. The moon is at an average distance of 384,400km from earth.

The lunar module was designed by Islamabad’s Institute of Space Technology (IST) in collaboration with China’s Shanghai University (SJTU) and Pakistan’s national space agency Suparco.

The landmark images were unveiled at a ceremony organised at the China National Space Agency (CNSA) to mark the successful mission accomplishment, Suparco spokesperson Maria Tariq told Dawn.com.

They were officially handed over to Pakistan’s ambassador to Beijing, she added.

One of the first-ever images captured by Pakistan’s inaugural lunar satellite iCube-Qamar shows the moon and the sun. — Suparco/CNSA

The iCube-Q orbiter carries two optical cameras to image the lunar surface. The module is a cube satellite or cubesat — miniature satellites typically characterised by their small size and standardized cubic design.

Due to their compact size and relatively low cost compared to traditional satellites, CubeSats offered opportunities for universities, research institutions and commercial entities to participate in space missions and gather valuable data for scientific advancement and innovation.

Operating in extreme temperatures as low as minus 100 degrees Celsius, the satellite features a 7-kilogramme one-megapixel camera tailored for missions with power constraints.

Dr Khurram Khursheed, head of Department of Electrical and Computer Science at the IST, had said the satellite would play a critical role in deep space missions.

“Its surface-level analysis capabilities, transmitting images at a modest 1-kbps, will provide crucial data on crater locations, water, and traces of ice on the moon’s surface,” he had said.

As the Chinese lander collects rock and soil samples, iCube-Q will spend three to six months orbiting the moon, capturing and transmitting images of the moon back to Earth.

The IST said the opportunity to release the cubesat in lunar orbit from the Chang’e-6 mission was offered by the CNSA through the Asia Pacific Space Cooperation Organisation (Apsco). After a thorough evaluation, Pakistan’s proposal was accepted out of all Apsco member states.

One of the first-ever images captured by Pakistan’s inaugural lunar satellite iCube-Qamar shows the sun shining brightly. — Suparco/CNSA

Chang’e-6 mission​

The Chang’e-6 mission, which aims to explore the moon’s “dark side”, employs lunar research payloads from multiple countries, including Pakistan’s iCube-Qamar satellite.

The mission is named after the mythical Chinese moon goddess. Nasa is banned by US law from any collaboration, direct or indirect, with China.

On Chang’e-6, China is carrying payloads from France, Italy, Sweden and Pakistan, while Chang’e-7 will bear payloads from Russia, Switzerland and Thailand when it launches in 2026.

Chang’e-6 aims to collect around 2kg of lunar samples from the far side of the Moon and bring them back to Earth for analysis. Chinese state news agency Xinhua had hailed it as “the first endeavour of its kind in the history of human lunar exploration”.

China will send a robotic spacecraft in the coming days on a round trip to the moon’s far side in the first of three technically demanding missions that will pave the way for an inaugural Chinese crewed landing and a base on the lunar south pole.

The probe is set to land in the immense South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest known impact craters in the solar system. Once there, it will scoop up lunar soil and rocks, and carry out other experiments in the landing zone.

With no direct line of sight with the Earth, Chang’e-6 must rely on a recently deployed relay satellite orbiting the moon during its 53-day mission, including a never-before-attempted ascent from the moon’s “hidden” side on its return journey home.

 

[ghazi52]

The team assembled with the help of Professor Abdus Salam (centre) and Suparco helped Pakistan’s rocket programme blossom throughout the 1960s | Suparco

 

[ghazi52]

The team assembled with the help of Salam and Suparco helped blossom Pakistan’s rocket programme throughout the 1960s, with further launches, including two hypersonic rockets, reaching close to 1,000 kilometres in the atmosphere.

This could have been a solid foundation for a public space programme, but the 1970s and the 1980s saw a shift in Pakistan’s policy towards the nuclear programme and the pursuit of the atomic bomb.

Space has always been associated with dual-use technology. The same technology that inspires many to dream about exploring the solar system can produce missiles that can carry weapons across continents. In fact, the real threat from the Sputnik-1 launch was perceived to be this missile superiority of the Soviet Union over the US. Similarly, there has always been a military aspect behind Nasa as well, and most of the astronauts in the 1960s came from a military background.

But the public aspect of the space programme is important as well. It can inspire a whole generation of scientists and explorers. Furthermore, public failures can lead to more scrutiny and generate pressure for making improvements.

Unfortunately, Suparco became an afterthought in the late 1970s and was almost defunded. It was re-established through a presidential ordinance in 1981 by Gen Ziaul Haq. Lip-service was paid to a public space programme, but much of the emphasis shifted towards military applications of space technology.

This shift continued under Gen Pervez Musharraf, when all space- and nuclear-related activities were placed under the National Command Authority (NCA) in 2000, and the succession of military personnel leading Suparco started.

In the meantime, the public space programme continues to be adrift. Suparco’s first satellite, Badr-1, was sent to space in 1990. In terms of technology, it was a modest satellite, and it was launched by China from the Xichang Launch Centre.

A follow-up, Badr-B or Badr-II, was launched in 2001, this time on a Russian rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The last two decades have seen a deepening of space ties with China, with the Chinese Space Agency launching Pakistan’s first communications satellite in 2011, and then a joint remote-sensing system in 2018.

In a welcome step, Pakistan did lay out a space strategy in 2014. It was first called Pakistan’s National Space Programme 2040, and has now been renamed Space Vision-2047.

Reviving Pakistan’s Space Programme

The state of Pakistan’s space programme is clearly not strong. But I do briefly want to address one question about space: can we afford to invest in space when there is so much poverty in the country?

CAN PAKISTAN HAVE ITS ‘SPUTNIK MOMENT’?

The success of India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission to the moon has forced many in Pakistan to look inwards?

www.dawn.com

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

Technical Details & Subsystems
Design Life: 3 Months
Communication Link:
X-Band for both TT &C and imaging data transfer
Data rate 1 kbps
Attitude Control:3 axis control using Reaction Wheels, Star sensor and Sun sensors
Power: Battery = 12 V , 11.6 AH
Two deployed solar panels

 

[Tremain]

There seems to be dirt/dust in the camera, producing a bokeh effect. The other pics have streaks of light as well.

Neither should be present in space photography.

If these are the tattee pics we will get, better not to have launched at all.

I hope and pray the imaging system is being tested to work out these bugs by the time the real pics start being sent over (in 4-6 days).

 

[Qureshi]

Pakistan’s iCube-Qamar beams back first images from moon’s orbit​

Nadir Guramani
May 10, 2024

The first lunar image captured by Pakistan’s inaugural lunar satellite iCube-Qamar shows the moon. — Suparco/CNSA
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaMc238IiRov8okfYy3n
Pakistan’s inaugural lunar satellite iCube-Qamar on Friday transmitted the first-ever images captured by it from the lunar orbit, the national space agency said.

One of the first-ever images captured by Pakistan’s inaugural lunar satellite iCube-Qamar shows the moon and the sun. — Suparco/CNSA

One of the first-ever images captured by Pakistan’s inaugural lunar satellite iCube-Qamar shows the sun shining brightly. — Suparco/CNSA

Waiting to see DHA in above pictures....

 

[ghazi52]

Pakistan to launch another satellite on 30th​

• MM1, the new satellite is scheduled to be launched on May 30, according to a spokesperson of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission

INP
May 12, 2024

ISLAMABAD: In a landmark stride towards advancing its internet and communication capabilities, Pakistan has announced plans to launch a new satellite into space, following the successful deployment of the iCube Qamar satellite.

Dubbed MM1, the new satellite is scheduled to be launched on May 30, according to a spokesperson of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco). The national space agency, Suparco, said the launch is set to take place from Islamabad.

The primary objective behind the MM1 satellite is to bolster Pakistan’s communication infrastructure. It is anticipated that the satellite will contribute to the establishment of a sophisticated communication network and has the potential to meet the growing demands of the telecom sector.

With the exponential growth in internet usage and the imminent rollout of 5G technology, the MM1 satellite holds promise in ensuring better availability and reliability of these services across the country. The satellite’s advanced capabilities are expected to address the increasing demand for high-speed internet and seamless connectivity.

On May 3, Pakistan launched its first mission to the moon, entering the international space race for research. The mission was launched with Chinese assistance from China’s Hainan Space Site. The satellite, weighing about 7kg, was developed by the Electrical Engineering Department of the Institute of Space Technology (IST) in Islamabad in two years.

Suparco launched the first satellite into lunar orbit, which was linked to the Chang’e 6 mission of China. With the launch of the mission, Pakistan became the sixth country in the world to go to the moon. On Friday, iCube Qamar made history by transmitting its first images from the moon’s orbit. The satellite successfully captured and transmitted its inaugural images from the lunar orbit, providing a unique perspective of the moon’s surface.

 

[Red nucleus]

Pakistan to launch another satellite on 30th​

• MM1, the new satellite is scheduled to be launched on May 30, according to a spokesperson of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission

INP
May 12, 2024

ISLAMABAD: In a landmark stride towards advancing its internet and communication capabilities, Pakistan has announced plans to launch a new satellite into space, following the successful deployment of the iCube Qamar satellite.

Dubbed MM1, the new satellite is scheduled to be launched on May 30, according to a spokesperson of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco). The national space agency, Suparco, said the launch is set to take place from Islamabad.

The primary objective behind the MM1 satellite is to bolster Pakistan’s communication infrastructure. It is anticipated that the satellite will contribute to the establishment of a sophisticated communication network and has the potential to meet the growing demands of the telecom sector.

With the exponential growth in internet usage and the imminent rollout of 5G technology, the MM1 satellite holds promise in ensuring better availability and reliability of these services across the country. The satellite’s advanced capabilities are expected to address the increasing demand for high-speed internet and seamless connectivity.

On May 3, Pakistan launched its first mission to the moon, entering the international space race for research. The mission was launched with Chinese assistance from China’s Hainan Space Site. The satellite, weighing about 7kg, was developed by the Electrical Engineering Department of the Institute of Space Technology (IST) in Islamabad in two years.

Suparco launched the first satellite into lunar orbit, which was linked to the Chang’e 6 mission of China. With the launch of the mission, Pakistan became the sixth country in the world to go to the moon. On Friday, iCube Qamar made history by transmitting its first images from the moon’s orbit. The satellite successfully captured and transmitted its inaugural images from the lunar orbit, providing a unique perspective of the moon’s surface.

Hello, I usually am an observer and do not post but there seems to be no discussion on the linked article from BR regarding a new satellite Pakistan has developed and is supposedly launching from Islamabad....either this is poor reporting or Pakistan has developed satellite launch capabilities which is massive. I hope we can have an informative discussion on this.

Perhaps the NOTAM given some days ago is related to this??

 

[ghazi52]

Hello, I usually am an observer and do not post but there seems to be no discussion on the linked article from BR regarding a new satellite Pakistan has developed and is supposedly launching from Islamabad....either this is poor reporting or Pakistan has developed satellite launch capabilities which is massive. I hope we can have an informative discussion on this.

Perhaps the NOTAM given some days ago is related to this??

Very poor reporting, It is Business Recorder..
They might have dream for developing and is supposedly launching from Islamabad. Never !