Space
17:11, 18-May-2018
China to launch relay satellite for Chang'e-4 lunar probe
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China plans to launch a relay satellite into space next Monday, May 21, for the Chang'e-4 lunar probe scheduled later this year.
The Chang'e-4 lunar probe will undertake the first ever soft landing on the far side of the Moon. However, direct communication with the far side of the Moon is not possible, which is one of the many challenges of the Chang'e-4 lunar probe mission.
Relay satellites are communication satellites that can provide data relay and monitoring services for spacecraft, improving the efficiency and emergency capability of various satellites. They also enable data from earth resource and environmental satellites to be transmitted in real time.
The Chang'e-4 probe will also carry scientific payloads for four countries, including the Netherlands and Germany.
The relay satellite "Queqiao" will transmit signals between the Earth station and the Chang'e-4 lander and rover. /VCG Photo
The relay satellite "Queqiao" will transmit signals between the Earth station and the Chang'e-4 lander and rover. /VCG Photo
White paper released by GNSS & LBS Association of China
A white paper on satellite navigation and location service industry development was published by the GNSS & LBS Association of China on Friday, which explains the current status and future development of the satellite navigation and location services industry of China.
Data in the paper shows that the total output value of the satellite navigation and location services industry reached 255 billion yuan (40 billion US dollars) in 2017, increased by 20.4 percent from 2016.
The country plans to send 18 BeiDou-3 satellites to the space to serve countries alongside the Belt and Road. By the end of 2020, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, which formed by approximately 35 satellites, will be able to provide positioning, navigation and timing services to global customers, says the paper.
[Cover: VCG Photo]
(CGTN's Guo Meiping also contributed to this article.)
Source(s): Xinhua News Agency