China plans to launch a relay satellite into space next Monday, May 21, for the Chang'e-4 lunar probe scheduled later this year.

 

中国将于下周一，5月21日发射一枚中继卫星，为今年晚些时候发射嫦娥四号火星探测器做准备。

 

The Chang'e-4 lunar probe will undertake the first ever soft landing on the far side of the Moon. However, direct communication with the far side of the Moon is not possible, which is one of the many challenges of the Chang'e-4 lunar probe mission.

 

The relay satellite, named Queqiao, will be responsible for transmitting signals between the Earth station and the Chang'e-4 lander and rover.

 

Relay satellites are communication satellites that can provide data relay and monitoring services for spacecraft, improving the efficiency and emergency capability¹ of various satellites. They also enable data from earth resource and environmental satellites to be transmitted in real time.

 

The Chang'e-4 probe will also carry scientific payloads for four countries, including the Netherlands and Germany.

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