The TDRS, named Queqiao (Magpie Bridge), was carried by Long March-4C rocket that blasted off from southwest China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center on May 21, 2018. This satellite was developed by the CASC. It was sent by rocket into the earth-moon transfer orbit with a perigee of about 200 kilometers and an apogee of about 400,000 kilometers.

The successful launch of Queqiao by Long March-4C rocket

The launching of Queqiao carried by a Long March-4C rocket

The diagram of the Long March-4C rocket trajectory

Made by Shanghai ASES Spaceflight Technology Co.Ltd.

Long March-4C rocket, developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology is a three-stage carrier rocket of normal temperature liquid propellant. The three-stage engine is in two starting states. The rocket is mainly used to launch sun-synchronous orbit satellites and can also launch other satellites in earth-moon transfer orbit. This is the first time of the rocket to carry out a mission in Xichang satellite launch center.

During this mission, the rocket also launched two ultra-long wave astronomical observation microsatellites.

This launch marks the 275th launch of China's Long March Launch Vehicle. It is also the 97th flight test mission of the Long March Launch Vehicle developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology.

Reprinted from WeChat public platform "Shanghai aerospace"