Key Sources:
The People's Government of the People's Republic of China "The Queqiao-2 Relay Satellite Mission Achieved Complete Success" 2024.4.12
The People's Government of the People's Republic of China, "Queqiao National Space Administration: Welcome the International Community to Use the "Queqiao" Relay Satellite to Continue Scientific Research", 2019.1.15
International Astronautical Federation (IAF) 74th International Astronautical Congress (2023.10.2-2023.10.6).
Hunan Daily, "When will the dream come true in nine days?" Chinese and foreign young researchers hotly discuss China's lunar exploration process, June 6, 2023
Screenshots of specific sources are at the end of the article
Preface
The China National Space Administration announced the good news on April 12 that the Queqiao-2 satellite has completed the Earth-Moon communication test.
Unexpectedly, the last time the United States applied for Chang'e-5 lunar soil was just the beginning, this time it has set its sights on Queqiao-2, and the key is that the mainland has agreed.
So why did the mainland allow the United States to use the mainland's Magpie Bridge?
The "Wolf Clause" for China
In 2011, the U.S. Congress passed a clause called "Wolff".
This clause is a unilateral clause proposed by Frank Wolf of the US House of Representatives prohibiting Sino-US cooperation in space.
And the opportunity of this clause is also very absurd!
In 2011, a Chinese working on a contract basis at NASA's Langley Research Center was suddenly arrested by US police while returning to China for transit.
The reason given for his arrest was that the Chinese citizen was carrying "a large amount of information technology that he may not have the power to control."
And "Wolfe", then chairman of the Subcommittee on Business, Justice, Science and Related Institutions of the House Appropriations Committee, also hyped up the incident, claiming that it was an "act of espionage."
After the US police search, it was found that no evidence was found on the Chinese, and finally on a very absurd reason, although no evidence was found in the computer, there was a "pornographic movie".
Although no evidence has been found, but the purpose of "Wolfe" has been achieved, then the media has already instigated, and even if there is no evidence, it can promote the establishment of the "Wolf Clause".
It was through this trumped-up "espionage" incident that Wolf pushed Congress to introduce legislation prohibiting cooperation with China's aerospace industry, and announced that the establishment of this clause would prohibit any scientific research cooperation between China and the United States in space.
In addition, the US space agency NASA is explicitly banned, and all facilities are not allowed to receive "official Chinese visitors".
After the implementation of this clause, many scientists on the mainland were still participating in the last mission of the American space shuttle Endeavour, in which the alpha magnetic spectrometer was carried by Chinese scientists.
But the mainland journalist, everything was ready, but was told that, subject to the "Wolf Clause", his interview pass was canceled.
Such a clause has also aroused the opposition of many scientists in the United States, who believe that it is a "discriminatory" provision.
Later, at an international astronomical conference held in the United States, NASA, the US space agency, refused to allow Chinese researchers to participate on "safety" grounds, causing dissatisfaction among "heavyweight" scientists in many countries and calling for a boycott of the conference.
The establishment of this clause has had a serious impact on the exchanges between Chinese and American scientists.
Professor Debra Fisher, an astronomer at Yale University in the United States, was told at a conference on "Planets Orbiting Stars" that a Chinese postdoc in his lab had been rejected on the grounds of "safety".
Professor Fisher said that the conference had nothing to do with security, and that he had contacted the organizers to find out that there was a "Wolf Clause".
In response to this discriminatory "unfair" treatment, Professor Fisher led the research team to boycott the meeting and told everyone not to attend, in order to oppose this discriminatory clause of the US Congress.
It can be said that this clause is completely an act of malice by the US Congress against China.
Therefore, even the provisions against China have not affected the development of China's space science and technology.
The mainland launched Queqiao-2 some time ago, which slapped the US Congress in the face, but if the United States wants to realize the "return to the moon plan (Artemis program)" in 2025, it also needs China to request the use of the Queqiao satellite.
So, how good is Queqiao No. 2?
The strongest "microphone" of the earth and moon
Queqiao-2 was launched on March 20 this year and successfully entered the scheduled orbit.
And successfully at 46 o'clock on March 25, began to "brake" braking, after a few days of flight, Queqiao 2 finally reached its "first destination".
After braking at a distance of 440 kilometers from the lunar surface, Queqiao-2 successfully entered the moon's orbit and began to fly around the moon's orbit.
And on April 6, Chang'e-4, which was successfully exploring the far side of the moon, completed the communication test.
This is not counting the cow, Queqiao No. 2 serves as the "strongest microphone" of the earth and the moon.
On April 8, it directly communicated with the "Chang'e-6 probe" that has not yet been launched, that is, Chang'e-6, which is still on the surface of the earth.
It's just amazing! No wonder it has been called "the strongest microphone on Earth and Moon".
The Continental Space Agency also announced the good news, Queqiao-2 has successfully completed the Earth-Moon communication test, which means that Queqiao-2 has officially entered the "working state".
Compared with the launch of Queqiao-1 in 2018, the communication ability, signal strength, and speed of Queqiao-2 are much more powerful.
In addition, the Queqiao-2 relay satellite weighs about 1.2 tons, has an antenna length of about 4.2 meters, has a design life of 8 years, and carries equipment such as an extreme ultraviolet camera, an array neutral atom imager, and an Earth-Moon VLBI test system.
Queqiao-2 carries a lot of scientific payloads, which will help Queqiao-2 carry out many scientific experiments, and transmit the experimental data back to Earth to obtain valuable data.
Not only that, Queqiao-2 can provide more than 21 hours of continuous communication capabilities, thereby helping Chang'e-6 and Chang'e-7 successfully complete the sampling mission on the back of the moon in the future.
This is not counting the Queqiao-2, it also has the ability of a "smart phone", because it can achieve ultra-fast Earth-Moon communication, so it also obtains the ability to update software in orbit.
This means that relying on the strong communication capability with Queqiao-2, Queqiao-2 can reconstruct the system like a smartphone, and will install different APP from the ground according to requirements, so as to provide services for multiple detectors it carries.
Therefore, Queqiao No. 2 is so powerful, and it stands to reason that such a powerful technology will definitely not be opened to other countries for use.
However, the mainland has opened the relay service of Queqiao-2 to the world, including the United States, of course.
Why did the mainland open Queqiao-2 to the world?
Why was Queqiao 2 opened?
The mainland is not the same as the United States, so afraid that its little "technology" will be learned by others.
The door of the mainland's space cooperation has always been open to the whole world, which is completely different from the US government's small-bellied chicken intestines.
As long as they meet the mainland's regulations on the use of space, they can apply for cooperation with China.
In fact, after the launch of the continental Queqiao (also known as Queqiao-1) satellite, the United States put forward a request to "borrow" the Queqiao-1 satellite.
However, after several rounds of communication and confirmation that the US application met our specifications, the mainland also opened the Queqiao No. 1 to the United States.
This is China's aerospace, the real "free and open". The existence of the Wolf Clause will only limit the development of US space technology.
Not only that, but after the mainland Chang'e-5 moon landing took samples and returned to Earth.
More than 10 research institutes of different structures have submitted applications to China for Chang'e-5 lunar soil.
Among them is Ryan Zeigler, an expert from NASA who is also the head of lunar samples for the Apollo moon landing program.
However, the "Chang'e-5 Lunar Soil" is not available only after applying, after all, the number of places is limited.
All applicants or applicants are required to give a 15-minute defense to discuss their need for lunar soil purposes and research topics.
Only after passing the review by Chinese scientists can they get the qualification to obtain lunar soil.
However, the United States has a special case, and it is precisely because of the restriction of this "Wolf Clause" that even if the United States applies for lunar soil qualification.
It is also necessary to obtain "special approval" from the US Congress, after all, there is a clause that NASA scientists cannot cooperate with China's aerospace.
Therefore, this violation of US law may be able to "accuse" NASA experts one day.
Despite this, American scientists still have to apply for "lunar soil", because China is the only country that takes soil from the far side of the moon, which has great scientific value.
It can only be said that with the continuous development of mainland astronautics, this "Wolf Clause" has become a restriction on the existence of American scientists.
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has also clearly stipulated that in addition to helping the fourth phase of the mainland's lunar exploration project, the China National Space Administration will also provide relay communication services for lunar exploration missions "at home and abroad".
This is very important, the Earth and the Moon have a direct tidal lock, and the Moon autobiography and the Earth's orbital period are exactly the same.
In 2023, Liu Jingxiang, a Malaysian associate researcher at the University of Science and Technology of China, mentioned that China has agreed to NASA's request to use China's Queqiao relay satellite.
Therefore, humans can only see the front side of the moon forever on Earth, so the need for a magpie bridge can solve this problem.
In addition to this, Queqiao No. 2 still has a role?
Queqiao-2 builds deep space communications
That is, as a space power, it must have "deep space communications".
As the only country in the world where a spacecraft has landed on the far side of the moon, in order to solve this communication problem, the mainland has innovatively developed the Queqiao satellite.
This is unique in the world, so if the United States wants to realize their "return to the moon" plan.
Either spend a lot of money and time to build a set of their own relay satellites, or, as a few years ago, use the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, which continues to the mainland.
Since the mainland has opened the Queqiao No. 2, as long as it meets the regulations, it is also allowed to be used by default.
Queqiao-2 not only realizes this aspect, but also plays a greater role in the entire Queqiao satellite.
The mainland will use Queqiao to build China's deep space system, and in the future, build a deep space network with signals from the moon, Venus, and Mars.
At the 74th International Astronautical Congress, Continental revealed the "Queqiao-3" series of satellites, which will verify the key technologies of communications, navigation and remote sensing services.
In the future, after the establishment of the entire Queqiao constellation, the mainland will realize "deep space communication".
In the future, it will really be possible to realize that there will be signals that can propagate to each other on extraterrestrial planets, and it will still be a communication method provided by a high-speed laser link, so the speed will be very fast.
Maybe in the near future, China's Queqiao will spread all over the solar system, which can also realize real-time communication between various planets!
At this conference, the United States also pointed out the importance of Earth-Moon space and hoped to build a communication service like the "Magpie Bridge."
The U.S. Space Force noted that it is very important to be in the Earth-Moon space region, and that the United States should also seek "responsive access" to Earth-Moon space.
It is hoped that the United States will be able to build communication and navigation support similar to that of the Queqiao satellite, as it is with China.
epilogue
Finally, carrying out relevant scientific research cooperation is the common vision of scientists all over the world, whether it is the lunar exploration project or deep space communication, it is for mankind to explore the mysteries of the universe.
At the same time, it is also the responsibility of all countries in the world, especially the space powers and space powers, to adopt a more cooperative attitude, so as to make positive contributions to mankind's exploration of the universe.
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