BEIJING (AP) — China launched a relay satellite on Monday as part of a groundbreaking program to be the first to land a spacecraft on…
BEIJING (AP) — China launched a relay satellite on Monday as part of a groundbreaking program to be the first to land a spacecraft on the far side of the moon later this year.
The satellite, lofted into space aboard a Long March-4C rocket, will facilitate communication between controllers on Earth and the Chang’e 4 mission, the China National Space Administration said on its website.
China hopes to become the first country to soft-land a probe on the moon’s far side, also known as the dark side because it faces away from Earth and is comparatively unknown.
The satellite, named Queqiao, or « Magpie Bridge, » after an ancient Chinese folk tale, was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan, the Space Administration said.
The launch is a « key step, » but the satellite’s mission must still overcome challenges including making multiple adjustments to its orbit, « braking » near the moon and using lunar gravity to its advantage, project manager Zhang Lihua was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.
