China's Tiandu-1 Conducts First Daylight Laser Ranging in Earth-Moon Space
A Chinese communication and navigation technology test satellite, known as the Tiandu-1, has recently conducted a laser ranging technology test in the Earth-Moon space under strong daylight interference conditions, marking a world first, according to the satellite's developer, China’s Deep Space Exploration Lab (DSEL), on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
Satellite laser ranging measures the distance to orbiting satellites. It involves a laser at an observatory sending pulses of light to the satellite that then bounce back, allowing for distance to be calculated.
While satellite laser ranging tracks Earth-orbiting satellites during the day, conducting these experiments in Earth-Moon space has previously been limited to nighttime, as strong daylight can interfere with the laser signal and cause signals to be lost in background noise.
This allows limited observation windows and data collection for satellites in Earth-Moon and lunar orbit. These are vital to China’s push for expanding its presence on the Moon.
The test expands the limits of the technology and will help with carrying out future deep space missions.
The Tiandu-1 and Tiandu-2 satellites were launched into space alongside the Queqiao-2 relay satellite on March 20, 2024. They entered their target circumlunar orbits on March 29 and separated on April 3. The Tiandu-1 has already completed multiple new technology tests in orbit. The mission was intended to help verify new technologies in the construction of an Earth-Moon communication and navigation system.
Since their launch, the satellites have been involved in several technological verification experiments, including sending back images of the Moon.
Satellite laser ranging technology is an important part of future space missions, as it is the most accurate method to determine the orbit of satellites, and could be used to help control networks of satellites or spacecraft positioning.
The latest test could help with projects, such as the International Lunar Research Station, a planned lunar station being developed by China and Russia to set up a long-term human presence at the Moon’s south pole, DSEL told state media.
Li Yuqiang, a researcher at the Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua on Tuesday a research team had successfully captured a laser return signal from the retroreflector on the satellite that was around 130,000km from Earth.
The Tiandu satellites were launched to help in the development of China’s communications and navigation satellite constellation for deep space exploration, Queqiao, supports operations for future lunar missions.
China aims to land its first astronauts on the Moon by 2030, and could be conducting research operations at the lunar south pole by 2035.
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: April 30, 2025
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