ISLAMABAD: Chinese state media report the Chang’e-6 lunar probe has successfully reached its circumlunar orbit.
Xinhua News Agency says Chang’e-6 executed a near-moon braking maneuver before entering orbit at 10:12 am local time (0212GMT).
This adjustment slowed Chang’e-6 enough for the moon’s gravity to capture it.
Pakistan’s first lunar satellite, iCUBE, launched last Friday from China’s Hainan Island. Pakistan’s Institute of Space Technology, China’s Shanghai University, and SUPARCO developed it with two optical cameras for lunar imaging.
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CubeSats like iCUBE-Q aid scientific research, technology advancement, and educational efforts.
Chang’e-6 aims to collect moon samples from the far side, a first in human space exploration. It includes an orbiter, lander, ascender, and returner, similar to Chang’e-5.
Chang’e-6 also carries international payloads, including the European Space Agency’s lunar ion analyzer, France’s radon instrument, and Italy’s laser reflector.
