The Long March 8 rocket was transferred vertically to the launch pad at the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in the early morning hours of March 17. In May, it will travel to the Moon, where the Chang’e-6 soil sample return mission is expected.
Queqiao-2 has a mass of 1200 kilograms and is equipped with a 4.2 meter long parabolic antenna. Its elliptical orbit will allow it to communicate with both Earth and the far side of the Moon, which never returns to Earth.
The satellite is designed to operate for more than eight years and will support not only the Chang’e-6 mission, but also the subsequent Chang’e-7 and Chang’e-8 missions to the moon’s south pole.
Chinese officials have not yet announced the exact time and date of the launch, but airspace restrictions indicate two launch windows on March 19, from 20:21 to 20:47 Eastern time and from 21:45 to 22:16 Eastern time.
Source: Ferra
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