China successfully launched the relay satellite Queqiao-2 (Magpie Bridge) atop a Long March 8 rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan Province on March 20.
Lunar probes that land on the far side of the moon cannot directly communicate and transfer data to Earth, and Queqiao-2, a key part of China’s lunar probe project IV, is expected to enable telecommunication between the Earth and the moon.
According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), Queqiao-2 entered lunar orbit on March 25 following a near-moon braking procedure. The CNSA said that Queqiao-2 will enter its target elliptical orbit around the moon and conduct its planned communication tests. The relay satellite will support future Chinese lunar missions, including the Chang’e-6 mission to the far side of the moon, expected to launch in May. The Queqiao-1 relay satellite was launched in 2018.
Established in December 2021, China’s lunar probe project IV aims to explore the south pole region of the moon and build a preliminary technological research station.
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