Pakistan’s first satellite mission to the moon, iCube Qamar, was launched on board China’s Chang’E6 from Hainan, China on Friday.

The Pakistani satellite ICUBE-Q CubeSat will orbit the moon as part of China’s historic Chang’e-6 lunar mission. It will detect traces of ice on its surface from orbit.

The launch was attended by scientists, diplomats and space agency officials from France, Italy, Pakistan, and the European Space Agency, all of which have moon-studying payloads aboard Chang’e-6.

Chang’e-6 is tasked with landing in the South Pole-Aitken Basin which perpetually faces away from the Earth, after which it will retrieve rocks and soil return samples.

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.

Lunar mission to be launched from China on Friday

Developed by the Institute of Space Technology (IST) in Pakistan, the miniaturised satellite, known as a CubeSat, is equipped with two optical cameras designed to capture detailed images of the lunar surface.