Pakistan is all set to launch its first-ever mission to the moon this week.
As per local media outlets report, Pakistan's historic ICUBE-Q satellite is ready to be launched for the historic lunar mission on Friday, May 3.
The China's Chang'E-6 aircraft, which is scheduled to depart from Hainan, China, at 12:50 PST, will take the satellite to the moon.
According to Pakistan's Institute of Space Technology (IST), the ICUBE-Q satellite has been designed and advanced with the collaboration of Shanghai University (SJTU), China and Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO).
Moreover, ICUBE-Q has been integrated with the sixth lunar exploration mission of China, Chang’e6.
The lunar mission satellite of Pakistan, ICUBE-Q, weighs no more than a few kilograms and has two optical cameras to image the moon's surface.
CubeSats are cubic shaped small satellites typically characterised by their small size and design.
Additionally, the country's primary objective of the lunar mission is to facilitate technology developments, scientific research and space exploration for educational initiatives.
The launch activity will be live telecast on the IST website and social media platforms.
It should be noted that in August 2023, India became the first country to land a craft near the South Pole of the moon.
