Produced by: Tarun Mishra
China is making efforts to salvage a spacecraft initially bound for the Moon but left stranded due to a rocket stage malfunction.
The DRO-A and B spacecraft were launched from the Xichang spaceport on a Long March 2C rocket on March 13. However, they failed to accurately enter their designated orbit due to an abnormality in the rocket’s upper stage.
Tracking data from the U.S. Space Force's 18th Space Defence Squadron (SDS) revealed that at least one satellite, possibly both, separated from the upper stage and had their orbits raised.
Observers speculate that the spacecraft performed at least one orbit-raising burn in an attempt to salvage the mission, based on the tracking data.
Photo: Journal of Deep Space Exploration
While Chinese state media did not explicitly state the Moon as the intended destination, a 2023 journal paper suggests that the DRO-A and B pair were meant to enter a distant retrograde orbit (DRO) around the Moon, a claim now confirmed by orbital data.
The DRO-A/B mission, though not a significant part of China's lunar plans, serves as a technology and orbit-testing mission, aligning with broader ambitions to establish lunar navigation and communications infrastructure.
China has not provided an official update on the status of the DRO-A and B satellites. The outcome of their salvage attempts and potential entry into their original planned lunar orbit remains uncertain.
Representative picture
Despite setbacks, China continues its lunar exploration efforts, with recent launches including the Queqiao-2 lunar communications relay satellite and pathfinder satellites Tiandu-1 and Tiandu-2, paving the way for future missions like the Chang’e-6 lunar far side sample return mission.