China is set to launch its lunar probe Chang’e-6 on Friday, aiming to collect samples from the far side of the moon. This mission will mark the first-ever attempt to gather samples from this region of the moon, said China National Space Administration (CNSA).
The Chinese mission will also carry Pakistan’s miniature satellite ICUBE-QAMAR cubesat.
Developed by the team at the Institute of Space Technology (IST), in collaboration with Shanghai University SJTU and SUPARCO, with this lunar mission Pakistan’s aims to make a progress in space exploration.
Pakistan moon mission launch timings
According to the Islamabad-based Institute of Space Technology, the launch will be on Friday at 12:50pm PKT, which is at 1:20pm as per Indian time.
Preparations for the mission are advancing at the Wenchang Space launch site in south China’s Hainan Province. The Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket will soon undergo refuelling with propellant, CNSA announced on Wednesday.
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What is Chang’e 6 mission?
• Chang’e 6 mission’s primary objective is to gather samples from the far side of the moon.
• The spacecraft consists of an orbiter, lander, ascender, and re-entry module.
• It aims to land in the South Pole-Aitken Basin to collect dust and rock samples.
• This mission could offer crucial insights into the composition and characteristics of the lunar region.
• Foreign equipment totalling 10 kilograms will accompany the mission.
• Scientific instruments from France, Italy, and the European Space Agency will be part of the payload.
• The Pakistani payload will also be mounted on the orbiter.
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India’s moonshot- Chandrayaan-3
India has already achieved the launch of Chandrayaan 3, becoming the first country to soft land near the lunar south pole.
The mission featured the Pragyan rover, which operated alongside China’s Chang’e 4 mission’s rover on the far side of the moon.
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After completing the planned 10 Earth days of lunar exploration, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) activated sleep mode in the system.
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