Get the latest tech news
China’s moon programme: 3 satellites enter lunar orbit, fate of 2 that fell short isn’t clear
Queqiao-2 communication relay satellite arrived 440km above the moon’s surface early on Monday, says CNSA; state media says ‘work is under way to address’ DRO-A/B satellites that failed to reach their designated altitude after March 13 launch.
Following a 19-minute-long braking burn which began at 12.46am, the spacecraft slowed, was caught by the moon’s gravity and entered a highly elliptical lunar orbit, the administration announced on its website. The apparent orbital climb, which had probably cost considerable satellite propellant, still could not inject the pair directly into a moon-bound trajectory, said amateur astronomer Scott Tilley, who is based in British Columbia, Canada. From there, the 1.2kg (2.6lb) relay satellite will use its 4.2m-wide (2.6-mile) radio antenna to conduct communication tests with the Chang’e 4 spacecraft, which has been carrying out scientific research in the Von Kármán crater on the moon’s far side since 2019.
Or read this on r/technology
