Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
HEFEI, May 28 (Xinhua) — China’s Tiandu-1 satellite has become the first probe to enter a special Earth-Moon resonant orbit, scientists announced Tuesday.
The spacecraft successfully completed an orbital maneuver on May 22, changing orbit to what scientists call a “3:1 resonant orbit between Earth and the Moon” after a week of testing.
The complex orbit, whose track forms the image of three giant petals with the globe as their axis, allows Tiandu-1 to make three revolutions around the Earth, corresponding in time to one rotation of the Moon around the Earth.
According to the China Deep Space Research Lab, such an orbit has special mechanical properties that allow the satellite to maintain orbital flight with relatively low energy consumption.
The achievement marks a major milestone in China’s lunar program, as the satellite’s flight data will be used for research into autonomous navigation and orbital control of spacecraft in complex gravity environments.
According to scientists, resonant orbit technology could play an important role in the future exploration of the space between the Earth and the Moon and the development of the corresponding infrastructure.
Tiandu-1 and Tiandu-2, together with the Queqiao-2 relay satellite (Magpie Bridge-2), designed to provide communications between the far side of the Moon and Earth, were launched into space in March 2024.
Tiandu-1 will continue its extended mission to test key technologies for the integrated Earth-Moon navigation and communication satellite system.