Spacewatch: China readies for part one of mission to far side of the moon

Magpie Bridge relay satellite will communicate with lunar lander to be deployed later in the yearChina is aiming to launch its new mission to the moon on Monday 21 May.TheChang ’e 4 relay satellite will be stationed about 60,000km behind the moon and provide a communications link for a rover that is designed to land and explore the lunar far side, which never faces Earth. The relay satellite has been named Queqiao, meaning Magpie Bridge, a name that comes from Chinese folklore in which a flock of magpies forms a bridge over the Milky Way to allow a separated pair of lovers to unite.Continue reading...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - May 17, 2018 Category: Science Authors: Stuart Clark Tags: The moon Science Space Satellites Astronomy Source Type: news