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ICUBE-Q or ICUBE-QAMAR () is a Pakistani lunar remote sensing nanosatellite and one of the four international payloads of the Chang'e 6 Moon sample-return mission. It is a joint venture between the Institute of Space Technology (IST), Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and the Intelligent Satellite Technology Center of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), under the framework of Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO). It is Pakistan's first deep-space mission.
The design of satellite was carried out at Space Systems Lab of Institute of Space Technology. The development was carried out jointly in the Intelligent Satellite Technology Center of School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The satellite called locally as "SJTU Siyuan 2" had to integrate multiple functions within limited space and mass, including energy supply, communication systems and the scientific experiment equipment. To overcome the gravitational disturbances, strong radiation expostures, temperature fluctuations and threat of lunar dust, the spacecraft was incorporated with multi-sensor fusion technology, multi-layer shielding and advanced thermal control technology to ensure its stable operation. SJTU had previously launched its first student satellite APSCO-SSS-2A (SJTU Siyuan 1) in collaboration with Institute of Space Technology Pakistan (IST) in October 2021.
The satellite was deployed from the Chang'e 6 lunar orbiter stack in at 08:14 UTC (13:14 PKT) on 8 May 2024 and had undergone testing for the first few days with the first images being expected around 15-16 May 2024.
The mission objectives include obtaining detailed images of the lunar surface and conducting intelligent on-orbit data processing of images, obtaining lunar magnetic field data and establish lunar magnetic field model and verifying new technologies such as Nanosatellite deep space lunar-ground communications and low-cost deep space exploration based on micro-nano satellites.
The satellite transmitted its first images back to Earth on 11 May 2024 captured from a distance of 200 kilometres from the Moon.
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