China ready to launch relay satellite Queqiao 2(1/5)

The combination of the relay satellite Queqiao 2 and the Long March-8 Y3 carrier rocket is transferred to the launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province, March 17, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Huang Guochang)

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

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.

The combination of the relay satellite Queqiao 2 and the Long March-8 Y3 carrier rocket is transferred to the launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province, March 17, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Huang Guochang)

The combination of the relay satellite Queqiao 2 and the Long March-8 Y3 carrier rocket is transferred to the launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province, March 17, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Huang Guochang)

The combination of the relay satellite Queqiao 2 and the Long March-8 Y3 carrier rocket is transferred to the launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province, March 17, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Huang Guochang)

The combination of the relay satellite Queqiao 2 and the Long March-8 Y3 carrier rocket is transferred to the launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province, March 17, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Huang Guochang)