On the morning of 20th March 2024, Wednesday 0831 hours Hong Kong SAR- Beijing Time at CNSA –China National Space Administration– Wenchang Space Craft launch Center the Queqiao-2 relay satellite was successfully launched…. According to the National Space Administration, the Queqiao-2 relay satellite of the fourth phase of the lunar exploration project was launched by the Long March 8 Yao-3 carrier rocket. China’s Wenchang Space Launch Site successfully launched into space.
After the Chang Zheng- Long March 8 Yao-3 carrier rocket flew for 24 minutes, the star and arrow separated, sending the Queqiao-2 relay satellite directly into the predetermined Earth-moon transfer orbit with a perigee altitude of 200 kilometers and an apogee altitude of 420,000 kilometers. The relay star’s solar wing and center following the normal deployment of the communication antennas, the launch mission was a complete success.
The main load of this mission, the “Queqiao-2” relay satellite, was developed by the Aerospace Dongfanghong Satellite Company of the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It uses the CAST-2000 satellite platform, uses a hydrazine propulsion system, and adopts three-axis stability control. The pointing control accuracy is better than 0.03 degrees, the solar cell array output power is greater than 1350 watts, equipped with a 135 Ah battery, communicates based on the S-band Unified Measurement and Control (Unified S Band) system and the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBl) system, the uplink communication rate is 2000bps, the downlink communication rate 4096/512bps, the satellite mass is about 1.2 tons, contains 488 kilograms of propellant, and has a design life of more than 8 years.
The communication payload carried by the satellite includes a 4.2-meter-diameter X-band parabolic antenna, which is used to communicate with the detector without a tracking device and points to the detector through the guidance navigation and control system (GNC); a 0.6-meter-diameter S/Ka dual-band parabolic antenna, Used to transmit data to the ground station, dual-axis tracking and pointing to the ground station; S-band relay antenna for measurement and control (TT&C); ultra-high frequency (UHF) relay antenna. In addition to providing data and signal forwarding, “Queqiao 2” will also forward various ground uplink instructions to the detector. At the same time, “Queqiao 2” is also a scientific exploration satellite equipped with an extreme ultraviolet camera, an array neutral atom imager, and the Earth-Moon Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBl) system.
Subsequently, with the support of ground measurement and control, Queqiao-2 will enter the capture orbit after mid-month correction and near-month braking; then enter the phase-modulation orbit after orbit control, and finally enter the 24-hour lunar mission orbit, becoming the successor to “Queqiao”. “After the relay star, it is the world’s second dedicated relay star beyond the earth’s orbit, providing support for the Chang’e-6 lunar sampling mission, and relaying the “Queqiao” relay star to provide relay communication services for Chang’e-4.
After the Long March 8 Yao-3 carrier rocket flew for 24 minutes, the star and arrow separated, sending the Queqiao-2 relay satellite directly into the predetermined Earth-moon transfer orbit with a perigee altitude of 200 kilometers and an apogee altitude of 420,000 kilometers. The relay star’s solar wing and center The communication antennas were deployed normally one after another. Subsequently, with the support of ground measurement and control, Queqiao-2 will enter the capture orbit after mid-month correction and near-month braking; then enter the phase-modulation orbit after orbit control, and finally enter the 24-hour lunar mission orbit, becoming the successor to “Queqiao”. “After the relay star, it is the world’s second dedicated relay star beyond the earth’s orbit, providing support for the Chang’e-6 lunar sampling mission, and relaying the “Queqiao” relay satellite to provide relay communication services for Chang’e-4.
Queqiao-2″ relay satellite and the carrying satellites “Tiandu-1” and “Tiandu-2” communication technology test satellites. The Long March 8 Yao-3 carrier rocket will be launched from Station 201 of the Wenchang launch site and will send the satellite into the Earth-moon transfer orbit. Minus 45 minutes after launch, the three-story rotating platform has all been opened.
The “Tiandu-1” and “Tiandu-2” communication technology test satellites were developed by China Deep Space Exploration Laboratory. Among them, “Tiandu-1” was developed by the Eighth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology, with a mass of 61 kilograms. “No. 2” was developed with the participation of Harbin Institute of Technology and has a mass of 15 kilograms. After entering the Earth-moon transfer orbit, the “Tiandu” binary stars successfully unfolded their solar wings. Afterwards, they will make mid-course corrections, enter the capture orbit after near-lunar braking, and then enter the 24-hour large elliptical frozen orbit around the moon (Elliptical frozen orbit). , then the two satellites were separated and adjusted to a relative distance of about 200 kilometers to carry out verification of new technologies such as lunar orbit navigation space reference allogeneic calibration, Ka-band communication and ranging integration new system tests, and high-reliability lunar-to-ground transmission and routing.
This launch uses the Long March 8 Yao-3 carrier rocket ” basic rocket, which is 50.34 meters long, has a first-stage diameter of 3.35 meters, a second-stage diameter of 3 meters, a booster diameter of 2.25 meters, a take-off mass of 356 tons, a take-off thrust of 499 tons, and is equipped with a 4.2-meter diameter, The height of the fairing is 12 meters, and the Earth-to-Moon transfer orbit has a transportation capacity of more than 1.3 tons.
At the same time, this mission is also the first deep space launch mission for the ” Long March 8 Yao-3 carrier rocket and China’s new generation medium-sized launch vehicle. It is also the first time that the Long March 8 Yao-3 carrier rocket has undertaken the launch mission of the lunar exploration project of a major national aerospace project.
Arouse the bright moon in the sky, illuminating my ambition, and I am determined to go to Guanghan for an appointment. The divine arrow reaches the sky, and the Magpie Bridge …..
Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration
