China prepares to launch relay satellite Queqiao

The combination of the relay satellite Queqiao-2 and the Long March-8 Y3 carrier rocket is vertically transferred to the launching area at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province, March 17, 2024. The satellite is projected to be launched at an appropriate time within the next few days, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). (Photo by Huang Guochang/Xinhua)

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

The satellite is projected to be launched at an appropriate time within the next few days, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

The combination on a removable launch pad was moved out of the vertical test building of the launching site in the morning, and then safely transported to its launching area.

The rocket check, the joint test work and the propellant filling will be carried out before the launch, according to the CNSA.

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.