China launched a Long March 8 rocket carrying a satellite that will serve as a communication relay for the Chang’e 6 mission. The probe will gather lunar material from the far side of the moon. Beijing is planning for a record 100 launches this year with growing help from the private sector.

Joining the discussion: 

• Xu Yansong is a Former Director at the China National Space Administration. 
• Yang Yuguang is Vice Chair at the International Astronautical Federation. 
• Amitabha Ghosh is a planetary scientist. 
• Keith Cowing is a former rocket scientist and Editor of NASAWatch.com. 

In this flight mission, the Long March 2D rocket placed the Yunhai-2 02 satellites into two designated orbits with a height difference of over 600 kilometers, setting a record for China in the field of deploying multiple satellites in different orbits at varying altitudes. https://t.co/UfNGZ77HLb

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) March 21, 2024

China on Thursday sent a group of satellites into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
The Yunhai-2 02 satellites were launched by a Long March-2D carrier rocket at 1:27 p.m. (Beijing Time) and have entered the planned orbit. https://t.co/dN4WVzeoFF pic.twitter.com/Nw6FbmO4oN

— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) March 21, 2024