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2024 · China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

Queqiao-2

successLong March 8 | Queqiao-2

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).

Overview

Date / time
March 20, 2024 at 12:31 AM UTC
Outcome
success
Launch site
201
Mission
Queqiao-2
Mission type
Planetary Science
Orbit achieved
Lunar Orbit
Launch vehicle
Long March 8 →
Launch provider
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation →

Payloads deployed · 3

QUEQIAO-2
Lunar
TIANDU-1
Lunar
TIANDU-2
Lunar