China Successfully Launches Second Lunar Communications Satellite: Queqiao-2

China Successfully Launches Second Lunar Communications Satellite: Queqiao-2

China successfully launched into preset orbit the Queqiao-2 relay communication satellite. The Long March-8 Y3 carrier rocket took off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in South China's Hainan Province at 8:31 am on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. The satellite separated from the carrier rocket 24 minutes after liftoff. The solar panels and communication antennas unfolded afterward. It then entered the planned Earth-Moon transfer orbit with the perigee at 200 kilometers and the apogee at 420,000 kilometers, marking a successful launch. CGTN interviewed excited spectators about the launch. 

Queqiao-2, or Magpie Bridge-2, will serve as a relay platform for the fourth phase of China's lunar exploration program, providing Earth-Moon communications services for Chang'e-4, Chang'e-6, Chang'e-7, and Chang'e-8 missions. It is another key step for supporting future lunar exploration missions, such as retrieving samples from the far side of the moon.

Queqiao-1 was launched in 2018 and supported the Chang'e 4 lunar farside mission.

Credit: China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Duration: 1 minute, 7 seconds

Release Date: March 20, 2024

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