Relay satellite Queqiao-2, Long March-8 Y3 carrier rocket to be launched soon

The combination of the relay satellite Queqiao-2 and the Long March-8 Y3 carrier rocket has been vertically transferred to the launching area at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China’s Hainan Province.

According to the China National Space Administration the satellite is projected to be launched at an appropriate time within the next few days. The rocket check, the joint test work and the propellant filling will be carried out before the launch.

Queqiao-2, or Magpie Bridge-2, will serve as a relay platform for the fourth phase of China’s lunar exploration program, providing communications services for the Chang’e-4, Chang’e-6, Chang’e-7, and Chang’e-8 missions.