On March 25th, it was reported by the China National Space Administration that at 00:46, Queqiao-2 relay satellite, after approximately 112 hours of lunar journey, initiated a near-moon braking maneuver at a distance of around 440 kilometers from the lunar surface.
About 19 minutes later, it smoothly entered into lunar orbit.
Subsequently, Queqiao-2 relay satellite will adjust its orbital altitude and inclination to enter a 24-hour period lunar elliptical mission orbit as planned, and commence intercommunication tests with Chang'e-4 and Chang'e-6 lunar probes.
It's been reported that in recent months, braking has been the most critical maneuver during the lunar satellite's flight.
The satellite must execute braking as it approaches the moon, reducing its relative velocity below the lunar escape velocity, thereby being captured by the moon's gravity to achieve lunar orbit.
Queqiao-2 is a relay communication satellite for the lunar exploration project, primarily tasked with facilitating communication between lunar rovers and the Earth. Its inaugural mission will serve the Chang'e 6 mission. Additionally, the Tianhe-1 and Tianhe-2 technology test satellites, carried by the Long March 8 Yao-3 launch vehicle, completed lunar orbit insertion at 1:43 a.m. on the same day. They will proceed according to plan with the subsequent separation of the twin satellites.
