In a serious show of technical ingenuity, China has efficiently rescued two satellites—DRO-A and DRO-B—that have been caught within the incorrect orbit for 123 days following a launch failure. The satellites, a part of China’s distant retrograde orbit (DRO) constellation, have been saved utilizing a sequence of complicated gravitational slingshot manoeuvres that turned a near-disaster right into a milestone in house navigation. This restoration mission not solely preserved important {hardware} but additionally highlighted China’s rising experience in orbital mechanics, house rescue operations, and deep-space navigation applied sciences.
Innovative Thinking in important situation
According to a current story by CGTN, on March 15, 2024, China launched two satellites that have been mounted on a Long March-2C rocket with a Yuanzheng-1S higher stage. While the launch initially appeared to achieve success, a malfunction within the higher stage made the satellites tumble and head in the direction of Earth a lot nearer than deliberate. With restricted energy and broken techniques, standard restoration was unimaginable.
Zhang Hao, a researcher on the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilisation (CSU), described the second the crew discovered of the problem in an interview with CGTN Digital: “If the satellites were destroyed, that would have been a waste of the years of effort that we put in and the money invested in the mission. It would also be a mental blow to the team.”
CSU engineers divided into two groups—one labored to stabilise the spinning satellites, whereas Zhang’s crew centered on calculating a brand new trajectory utilizing gravitational assists. “We calculated the best route to move the satellites back on track,” Zhang defined in the course of the interview.
A Gravity-Assisted Comeback
The mission exploited the gravitational pulls of Earth, the Moon, and even the Sun to rigorously nudge the satellites into their goal DRO positions. The method is often utilized in deep house missions, and it wants a minimal quantity of gas, which makes it a possible approach to bypass the gas scarcity. The most crucial manoeuvre lasted simply 20 minutes however took weeks of preparation. “I got more and more stressed as the clock ticked,” Zhang admitted. “I just kept staring at the screen until it said ‘normal, ‘” he additional added.
Now efficiently positioned, DRO-A and DRO-B have joined the sooner DRO-L to type a three-satellite constellation. According to CSU researcher Mao Xinyuan, the community will drastically cut back spacecraft positioning occasions—from days to only a few hours—and assist autonomous navigation between Earth and the Moon.
This mission not solely salvaged helpful satellites but additionally demonstrated China’s rising functionality in autonomous spaceflight and long-distance orbital engineering.
