China has successfully launched a satellite to facilitate communication for its upcoming lunar missions.
What Happened: The satellite, named Queqiao-2, was launched on Wednesday by China. It will serve as a communication bridge between Earth and an upcoming mission on the far side of the moon, reported Reuters.
The Long March 8 rocket, carrying Queqiao-2 and two miniature satellites, was launched from the southern island province of Hainan. The satellite will orbit the moon and enable data transfer to and from the Chang’e-6 mission, which is expected to launch in May. This mission aims to collect samples from the moon’s hidden side.
Queqiao-2 will also support the Chang’e-7 lunar mission in 2026 and the Chang’e-8 mission in 2028. By 2040, it will be part of a constellation of relay satellites, providing communication support for crewed lunar missions and exploration on other planets like Mars and Venus.
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