Embarking the mission to explore the far dark side of moon, China successfully launches its relay satellite

NewsBharati    21-May-2018
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Sinchau, May 21: Aiming to achieve a far-reaching idea of exploring various depths of space, China has successfully launched a relay satellite designed to establish a communication link between the Earth and a lunar probe planned to land on the far side of the Moon. The satellite was launched on early Monday morning.

 

The main aim of launching this satellite has been framed as a part of China’s plan to explore the far side of the Moon with the unmanned Chang’e-4 probe. China aims to be the first country in the world to explore the far side of the Moon.

The satellite has been named as Queqiao or Magpie Bridge. Zhang Lihua, manager of the relay satellite project said, "The launch is a key step for China to realize its goal of being the first country to send a probe to soft-land on and rove the far side of the Moon." About 25 minutes after lift-off, the satellite separated from the rocket and entered an Earth-Moon transfer orbit with the perigee at 200 km and the apogee at about 400,000 km. The solar panels and the communication antennas were unfolded.

Chinese scientists and engineers have expected the Queqiao satellite to form a communication bridge between controllers on Earth and the far side of the Moon where the Chang'e-4 lunar probe is expected to touch down later this year.
China plans to build its own space station by around 2022 as part of its vision to become a major space power. Moon exploration is another pillar of its space drive. In 2013, China became the 3rd country in the world to reach the Moon when its unmanned Chang'e-3 landed on the lunar surface.

China plans to send the Chang'e-4 probe to the Moon's far side by the end of the year.