In a much publicised launch Pakistan’s maiden lunar mission — iCube Qamar — embarked on its journey on May 3, 2024 as part of a Chinese probe, aboard China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province.
The satellite was jointly designed and developed by Pakistan’s Institute of Space Technology (IST), Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU).
Carrying two optical cameras to image the lunar surface, the 7kg cube satellite or cubesat like the iCube-Q orbiter, are usually used by academic institutes for experimental and research purposes in Low Earth Orbits, generally with an altitude of less than 1,000km.
The small satellite developed by Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) was supposed to be clicking photos of lunar space and the Chinese lunar probe was supposed to bring back soil and rock samples from the darker side of the Moon. Chang’e 6 is China’s sixth lunar exploration mission.
The entire world cheered when the unmanned Chandrayaan-3 touched down just a few days after a Russian probe crashed in the same region. The success fuelled the dreams of reaching the Moon in Pakistan too. And that is the reason Pakistan is hitchhiking a ride on the Chinese lunar mission Chang’e 6 to catch up with India’s successful lunar mission.
The launch of iCube-Q has created a lot of excitement in Pakistan. Pakistan media has been calling it a good beginning for their space program. The launch was hailed as highly successful by Pakistan’s military and civilian leadership. Pakistani media even took a dig at India’s first rocket launched in 1963 because it was transported by a bullock cart.
But despite the fanfare surrounding the mission, it appears that Pakistan has lost contact with its first lunar satellite ICUBE-Qaman (ICUBE-Q) since July 01, 2024. In fact as per insider information, the satellite developed multiple issues immediately after its launch, which is indicative of serious design and instrumentation flaws.
It may be noted that Pakistan’s Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), was actually founded in 1961, eight years before India’s Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) was formally established in 1969. This made SUPARCO the oldest agency in the Indian subcontinent, and it received both support and funding from the United States. Over the years, ISRO proved to be one of the great success stories of developing India, and misplaced priorities have put Pakistan’s SUPARCO decades behind ISRO. The leadership of SUPARCO has often been military-focused, with Generals heading the agency. Funding challenges and misplaced priorities have also hindered its progress.
While ISRO has launched 65 satellites and has achieved significant milestones, including missions to the Moon (Chandrayaan) and Mars (Mangalyaan), Pakistan’s SUPARCO has managed to launch only two satellites. Perturbed at the success of India’s Chandrayaan mission, Pakistan is using Chinese wings to bring the moon within its reach.
India’s successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon’s southern pole was widely praised in Pakistan. Various media outlets underscored how India managed the ambitious program on a shoestring budget and achieved something that even the space agencies of the US, Soviet Russia, and China failed to do.
Pakistan had widely publicised the launch of its ICUBE-Q satellite – Pakistan’s first lunar mission, claiming it to be testament to Pakistan’s growing capabilities in space technology. However, the satellite developed multiple issues immediately after its launch. Pakistan’s institutional capacity in the Space domain, including in satellite designing appears to be still low and fragile.
Indications are that China’s Deep Space Network (CDSN), the communication and tracking entity for Chinese space missions, has stopped tracking the satellite, following its assessment that the satellite may not be able to transmit further.
Pakistan’s space programme has achieved nothing compared to India’s space programme. It hasn’t yet developed its own launch vehicles, and uses other nations’ help for securing launch of its satellites and space probes. Despite an eight years headstart over India, Pakistan’s space agencies could not sustain the momentum because of the country’s callous attitude towards matters of national building, and lack of a long-term vision. Pakistan’s institutional capacity is still too low and fragile, and its human resources are often unimaginative and regimented. This lack of capacity hinders meaningful progress without relying on foreign assistance.
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