LAUNCH OF CHINA’S LUNAR DATA RELAY SATELLITE, May 20?, 2018, 5:00 pm ET?

China is expected to launch its Queqiao (“magpie bridge”) satellite to the Moon during a three-day launch window that opens at 5:00 pm Eastern Time on May 20 (5:00 am May 21 Beijing time).  Its purpose is to provide a communications relay for China’s Chang’e-4 lunar lander, which will land on the far side of the Moon, the first spacecraft to do so.  The launch of Chang’e-4 is expected later this year.

__ will be placed into the Earth-Moon L2 Lagrange point where it will have line of sigght between the lander and Earth-based tracking stations.

Andrew Jones at gbtimes.com has more on the mission.