KARACHI: Pakistan’s first lunar mission ‘iCube Qamar’ has successfully reached the moon orbit, Bol News reported.

The China’s Chang’e 6 mission has successfully placed the Pakistani satellite iCube Qamar into moon orbit while Pakistani space scientists Dr Khurram Khurshid and Dr Qamarul Islam are in China.

After deployment of iCube Qamar, all subsystems will be reviewed as per SOPs, it may take about a week to verify all subsystems before the satellite imaging system becomes operational.

The first image of the moon from iCube Qamar is likely to be received by May 15 or 16, after the Chang’e-6 mission enters lunar orbit under the influence of the moon’s gravity.

In the next phase, the Chang’e-6 lander and assender will land on the far side of the moon’s south pole, with the main lander separating from the Chang’e-6 mission on June 1.

The Chang’e-6 mission will collect soil and rock samples from the lunar surface on June 2, while the return journey will begin on June 4 and the Chang’e-6 mission will dock on June 6.

According to the program, the Chang’e-6 mission will land back on Earth on June 25 after completing a 53-day mission.

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