China to launch Queqiao-2 relay satellite in first half of 2024

China plans to launch the newly developed relay satellite Queqiao-2 in the first half of 2024 to support communications between its next lunar mission, Chang'e-6, and Earth, said the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Friday. Queqiao-2 will be used to forward communications between lunar spacecraft and the ground crew.

It is an upgraded version of the Queqiao satellite, which is the relay satellite for the Chang'e-4 mission. China's Chang'e-6 mission, which is set to land on the far side of the moon around 2024, will target a crater inside the South Pole-Aitken Basin. Blocked by the moon, it cannot directly communicate with the Earth, and needs the Queqiao-2 satellite for transmitting the data.