Queqiao-2
Long March 8
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Rocket Launch Videos
Mission
Queqiao-2
- Type: Planetary Science
- Orbit: Lunar Orbit
Queqiao-2 is a Chinese artificial satellite to serve as a communications relay for future Chinese lunar far side missions that cannot communicate directly with the Earth, beginning with the Chang'e 6 lunar sample return mission in 2024.
It will operate from a Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) of the Moon.
The launch also carries the Tiandu-1 & 2 small satellites testing cis-lunar space navigation and inter-satellite communication techniques for CNSA’s Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL).
Location
201
Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China
201 has witnessed the launch of 23 rockets, including 23 orbital launch attempts. While Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China, has been the site for 39 rocket launches.
The Wenchang Space Launch Site is a rocket launch site located in Wenchang on the island of Hainan, in China.
Formally a suborbital test center, it currently serves as China's southernmost spaceport. The site was selected for its low latitude, 19° north of the equator, allowing for larger payloads to be launched. It is capable of launching the Long March 5, the heaviest Chinese rocket. Unlike launch facilities on the mainland, Wenchang uses its seaport for deliveries.
Rocket
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 8
Long March 8 (Chinese: 长征八号运载火箭) is an orbital launch vehicle developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology to launch up to 5000 kg to a 700 km altitude Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). The rocket is based on the Long March 7 with its first stage and 2 out of its 4 boosters, along with the existing liquid hydrogen burning 3rd stage of the Long March 3A/3B/3C and 7A as its 2nd stage.
A "Core Only" version omitting the boosters is also available.
Agency
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is the main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has a number of subordinate entities which design, develop and manufacture a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, strategic and tactical missile systems, and ground equipment. It was officially established in July 1999 as part of a Chinese government reform drive, having previously been one part of the former China Aerospace Corporation. Various incarnations of the program date back to 1956.
