China on March 20 launched a satellite that will act as a communications bridge between ground operations on Earth and an upcoming mission on the far side of the moon, state media reported, marking a new phase in the country’s long-term lunar exploration program.State broadcaster CCTV aired footage of a Long March 8 rocket carrying the 1.2-metric ton Queqiao-2, named after a mythological bridge made of magpies, and two miniature satellites, Tiandu-1 and -2, blasting off from a launch pad in the southern island province of Hainan.Queqiao-2 will orbit the moon and relay signals to and from the Chang’e-6 mission, expected to be launched in May, CCTV reported. The robotic Chang’e-6 mission will seek to retrieve samples from an ancient basin, acquiring lunar material from the moon’s hidden side for the first time, CCTV added.The moon’s near side always faces Earth. That means data transfers from the far side are impossible as there is no direct line of sight.Queqiao-2 will also be used as a relay platform for the Chang’e-7 lunar mission in 2026 and the Chang’e-8 mission in 2028, CCTV said.