Chinese lunar probe set for take-off with Pakistani miniature satellite on board. Details here

China is set to launch a lunar probe on Friday with Pakistani miniature satellite ICUBE-QAMAR cubesat on board. Details shared by the China National Space Administration also noted that this was the first mission to ever attempt a collection of samples from the far side of the moon. Chang'e-6 is currently preparing for takeoff from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province.

“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!” the Chinese embassy in Pakistan tweeted recently. 

The iCube-Q satellite — developed in collaboration with Shanghai University SJTU and SUPARCO — carries two optical cameras designed to capture images of the lunar surface. According to the Islamabad-based Institute of Space Technology, the country will launch its maiden moon mission on Friday at 12:50 pm Pakistan time (1:20 pm IST). 

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The Chang'e-6 lunar probe and Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket combination were transferred vertically to the launch area on Saturday. The mission aims to land in the South Pole-Aitken Basin for collection of dust and rock samples. It will carry scientific instruments from France, Italy and the European Space agency onboard the lander and the Pakistani payload on the orbiter. 

Details shared by the China National Space Administration indicate that the mission's rocket team has designed a total of 10 trajectories as there is a narrow launch window on two consecutive days, with only 50 minutes for each day. CNSA had earlier said that the mission was also poised to make breakthroughs in key technologies, such as automatic sample collection, take-off and ascent from the far side of the moon. 

(With inputs from agencies)