Three-satellite system deployed in orbit

China has successfully deployed the world's first three-satellite constellation on the distant retrograde orbit of the Earth-moon system, marking a milestone in the country's deep-space exploration capabilities, scientists announced at an academic symposium in Beijing on Monday.

The DRO-A/B satellites, developed under the Chinese Academy of Sciences' priority research program "DRO Exploration", recently linked with the previously launched DRO-L satellite in low-Earth orbit, forming an interconnected network after a journey of 8.5 million kilometers, according to the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization.

"The achievement positions China at the forefront of DRO utilization — a strategic orbital region considered a 'natural spaceport' for future lunar and deep-space missions," said Wang Wenbin, a CAS researcher and chief architect of the program at the CSU.