Image: 秦英健/Qin Yingjian
Long March 8 | Queqiao-2
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation · Long March 8 · 201, Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 459th launch · 7th this year · humanity's 6,641st orbital launch attempt
The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).
Window: Mar 20, 00:21 – Mar 20, 02:16 UTC
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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).
Planetary Science · Lunar Orbit (LO)
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Updates
Launch success.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/20/2024 · source
Liftoff
SwGustav · 3/20/2024 · source
Tweaked T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/18/2024 · source
Updated launch window per additional NOTAMs.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/15/2024 · source
Added tentative launch date and window per NOTAMs; Identity of launch with launch vehicle and payload combination uncertain.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/15/2024 · source
NET March 2024.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/2/2023 · source
Added launch.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/25/2023 · source
Pad — 201
Local pad time: Mar 20, 8:31 AM GMT+8
31 launches from this pad · 68 from Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China
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