China launched a satellite on Wednesday that will serve as a bridge between ground operations on Earth and a future mission to the far side of the moon, marking a new phase in the country’s long-term lunar exploration program.

The Long March 8 rocket, carrying the 1.2-ton Queqiao-2, named after the mythological bridge of birds, and two miniature satellites, Tiandu-1 and -2, launched from the southern island province of Hainan, media reported.

The near side of the Moon always faces the Earth. This means that data transmission on the far side is not possible because there is no line of sight.

Queqiao-2 will orbit the moon and transmit signals to and from the Chang’e-6 mission, which is expected to launch in May. The Chang’e-6 robotic mission will attempt to recover samples of the ancient basin, receiving lunar material from the far side of the moon for the first time.

Queqiao-2 will also be used as a relay platform for the Chang’e-7 lunar mission in 2026 and the Chang’e-8 mission in 2028.

By 2040, Queqiao-2 will be part of a constellation of relay satellites that will serve as a communication bridge for manned lunar missions and to explore other planets such as Mars and Venus.

Miniature satellites Tiandu-1 and -2 will conduct tests to build a constellation.

The constellation will also provide communications, navigation and remote sensing support for China’s planned lunar south pole research station.

Queqiao-2 has a design life of at least eight years and will replace Queqiao-1, launched in 2018.

Queqiao-1, which has a design life of 5 years and is only a third smaller than Queqiao-2, was the first relay satellite deployed on the far side of the Moon.

In 2019, Chang’e-4 became the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the far side of the Moon.

(news.ro)