China launches relay satellite to explore dark side of Moon

China launches a relay satellite that will allow a rover to communicate with the Earth from the far side of the Moon during an unprecedented mission later this year.

In this photo provided by China's official Xinhua News Agency, a Long March-4C rocket carrying a relay satellite, named Queqiao (Magpie Bridge), is launched from southwest China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Monday, May 21, 2018.
AP

In this photo provided by China's official Xinhua News Agency, a Long March-4C rocket carrying a relay satellite, named Queqiao (Magpie Bridge), is launched from southwest China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Monday, May 21, 2018.

China launched a relay satellite on Monday as part of a groundbreaking programme to land a probe on the far side of the Moon later this year.

The satellite lofted into space aboard a Long March-4C rocket will facilitate communication between controllers on Earth and the Chang'e 4 mission, the China National Space Administration said on its website.

China hopes to become the first country to soft-land a probe on the Moon's far side, also known as the dark side because it faces away from Earth and is comparatively unknown.

The satellite, named Queqiao, or "Magpie Bridge," after an ancient Chinese folk tale, was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan, the Space Administration said.

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"Key step"

The launch is a "key step," but the satellite's mission must still overcome challenges including making multiple adjustments to its orbit, "braking" near the Moon and using lunar gravity to its advantage, project manager Zhang Lihua was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.

China previously landed its Jade Rabbit rover on the Moon and plans to land its Chang'e 5 probe there next year and have it return to Earth with samples, the first time that has been done since 1976.

China conducted its first crewed space mission in 2003, making it only the third country after Russia and the US to do so and has put a pair of space stations into orbit.

Upcoming missions include the launch of the 20-tonne core module for the still orbiting Tiangong 2 station, along with specialised components for a 60-ton station that is due to come online in 2022 and a Mars rover planned for the mid 2020s.

However, the failure of China's Long March 5 rocket last year was seen as dealing a rare setback to the highly successful space programme, delaying some missions and offering rival India a chance to move ahead in the space rankings.

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