Long March 8 | Queqiao-2

Launch Provider & Rocket

• Provider: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (Government)
• Rocket: Long March 8 — Long March family

Mission

Queqiao-2 is a Chinese artificial satellite to serve as a communications relay for future Chinese lunar far side missions that cannot communicate directly with the Earth, beginning with the Chang'e 6 lunar sample return mission in 2024. It will operate from a Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) of the Moon. The launch also carries the Tiandu-1 & 2 small satellites testing cis-lunar space navigation and inter-satellite communication techniques for CNSA’s Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL).

• Type: Planetary Science
• Orbit: Lunar Orbit (LO)

Launch Site

• Pad: 201
• Location: Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China
• View on map

Program

• Chinese Lunar Exploration Program — The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program also known as the Chang'e Project after the Chinese moon goddess Chang'e, is an ongoing series of robotic Moon missions by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The program incorporates lunar orbiters, landers, rovers and sample return spacecraft, launched using Long March rockets. (Wikipedia)