Queqiao-2 Embarks on Scientific Missions for Future Lunar Exploration

Queqiao-2 Embarks on Scientific Missions for Future Lunar Exploration
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jul 11, 2024

The Queqiao-2 relay satellite, equipped with three scientific instruments, is set to perform a range of scientific missions in orbit, building on its previous role in the Chang'e-6 mission.

Launched on March 20 this year by a Long March-8 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province, China, Queqiao-2, also known as Magpie Bridge 2, is tasked with ensuring Earth-moon communications.

The satellite's instruments include an extreme ultraviolet camera, a two-dimensional-coded energetic neutral atom-imager, and an Earth-moon very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) experiment system, "according to the National Space Science Center under the Chinese Academy of Sciences."

Additionally, a scientific payload manager is installed on Queqiao-2. This manager acts as the central control hub, responsible for the unified control and data reception of the instruments, "the center said."

Integral to the upcoming Chang'e-7 mission, these instruments will conduct various Earth observation and astrometry experiments. Their objective is to further research in space Earth science, space astronomy, and deep space exploration technology, contributing to new scientific discoveries.

The extreme ultraviolet camera on Queqiao-2 can observe in the 30.4 nm and 83.4 nm spectral bands, capturing distinctive images of the space surrounding Earth.

Scientists can analyze these images to study the impact of solar activity on Earth's space environment, comprehend how Earth's magnetic field shields humans from cosmic rays and solar wind, and improve predictions of solar activity to mitigate adverse effects on communication systems and spacecraft safety.

The two-dimensional-coded energetic neutral atom-imager, developed independently by China, is designed to image and monitor Earth's magnetosphere, providing high-resolution data on Earth's magnetotail.

This data is vital for understanding Earth's magnetic storm processes, the mechanisms triggering substorm injections, and energy conversion in the magnetotail. Such insights are crucial for enhancing the safety of China's space station and near-Earth satellites during operations.

The Earth-moon VLBI experiment system extends the ground-based VLBI network into Earth-moon space using Queqiao-2's antenna, creating a baseline length from 3,000 meters to 380,000 kilometers, "the center said."

This system will support scientific exploration in astrophysics and astrometry along the Earth-moon baseline, as well as precise orbit measurements for deep space probes. Its unique vantage point will help uncover the physical properties and evolutionary processes of various celestial bodies and phenomena.