China's Long March-8 Y3 carrier rocket has arrived at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province for the launch of the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Thursday.
The Queqiao-2 relay satellite, which was transported to the launch site earlier this month, is scheduled for launch in the first half of this year, said the CNSA. It will enable communication between China's lunar rover and the ground station, providing relay support for the Chang'e-6, Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 missions.
The satellite is an upgraded version of the Queqiao satellite, which is the relay satellite for the Chang'e-4 mission. As the designed lifespan of the first Queqiao is about to end, Queqiao-2 will also succeed it to provide relay communication services for the Chang'e-4 and Yutu-2 probes on the far side of the moon.
China's Long March-8 Y3 carrier rocket will undergo assembly and testing at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province. /CNSA
Powered by green and environmentally friendly liquid propellant, the Long March-8 carrier rocket is China's new generation of medium-lift rocket mainly for sending spacecraft of 3 to 5 tonnes to the sun-synchronous orbit, said the CNSA.
The carrier rocket will undergo assembly and testing at the launch site.
At present, the facilities at the launch site are in good condition and the preparation work is underway as planned.