China launched the Queqiao-2 relay satellite atop a Long March-8 Y3 carrier rocket for China's lunar missions at 8:31 a.m. Beijing Time from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province on Wednesday.
The satellite separated from the carrier rocket 24 minutes after liftoff, entering the planned orbit for Earth-moon transfer. The solar panels and communication antennas were unfolded afterward, marking a successful launch mission.
It will undergo mid-course corrections and near-moon braking to a capture orbit, adjust and finally settle into the lunar orbit. It is the world's second dedicated relay satellite to travel beyond Earth's orbit after Queqiao.
The satellite is an upgraded version of Queqiao, the relay satellite for the Chang'e-4 mission. As the designed lifespan of the first Queqiao is about to end, Queqiao-2 will continue to provide relay communication services for the Chang'e-4 mission. It will enable communication between China's lunar rover and the ground station, providing relay support for the planned Chang'e-6, Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 missions.
Compared to its predecessor, Queqiao-2 is more powerful with more technological innovation, functions and a longer lifespan for more missions. It also carries a slew of scientific apparatus for exploration.
People gather by the seaside to watch the launch of the Queqiao-2 relay satellite at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, Hainan Province, south China, March 20, 2024. /CFP
The carrier rocket used for the launch, the Long March-8 Y3, is 50.3 meters tall with a core stage and two liquid boosters. It's the first time the rocket has been launched into lunar orbit.
The rocket also carried two experiment satellites for communication technology – the Tiandu-1 and Tiandu-2. 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.
This was the 512th mission for Long March carrier rockets.
In December 2021, the fourth phase of the lunar project was approved for action, including the Chang'e-4, Chang'e-6, Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 missions. The Chang'e-4 mission was launched in December 2018, making it the world's first to soft-land on the far side of the moon for exploration. The Chang'e-6 mission is expected to launch in the first half of 2024.
The missions Chang'e-7 and 8 are planned to form the basic structure of a lunar research station.