[5][6][7][8] Tiandu satellites will perform navigation and communications technology verification experiments while flying in formation in lunar orbit.
[5][9] The Tiandu satellites' mission is to inform the design of China's proposed Queqiao lunar navigation and communication array.
The 15 kg (33 lb) Tiandu-2 carries a communication payload and navigation devices.
[5][6][11] The mission was launched together as a single probe with Queqiao 2 in 2024 on a Long March 8 rocket.
[13] In that large elliptical orbit around the Moon, they separated on 3 April 2024[14] and later satellite-to-ground laser ranging are inter-satellite microwave ranging are to be carried out by these satellites via high-precision lunar orbit determination technology.