DRO Constellation

Editor's Source: Shangguan Yong, Zheng Peng, Zhang Hua, et al. Research on the Current Status and Technology Development of Cislunar Space Navigation[J]. Telemetry and Remote Sensing, 2026.

Author: Tianjiang Says

Editor's Source: https://cislunarspace.cn

Overview

In April 2025, the Chinese Academy of Sciences Space Applications Center successfully deployed the world's first cislunar space three-satellite constellation based on DRO (Distant Retrograde Orbit) through a strategic pioneering special project, achieving three-satellite constellation networking with DRO-A, DRO-B, and DRO-L.

Breakthrough Achievements

The DRO constellation achieved the following breakthroughs for the first time internationally:

  • First achievement of low-energy orbit insertion into DRO for spacecraft
  • First verification of a 1.17 million km K-band inter-satellite microwave measurement and communication link
  • Breakthrough of key core technical bottlenecks in large-scale constellation construction in cislunar space
  • First verification of new quality capabilities for satellite tracking and orbit determination navigation in cislunar space

Technical Verification

The DRO-A satellite and DRO-L satellite conducted cross-range measurements via Ka-band inter-satellite links. The DRO project accumulated 17 hours of inter-satellite measurement data over an 11-day span (A/B-L inter-satellite distance of 320,000 to 470,000 km). This was the first domestic achievement of large-scale high-precision ranging capability in DRO space, establishing a new system of space-based orbit determination for large-scale cislunar high-precision ranging technology.

Significance

The DRO constellation opens new pathways for large-scale development and utilization of cislunar space. The "Cislunar Lighthouse" system based on this constellation will be further expanded, combining the achievements of the Queqiao relay satellite and Chang'e series missions to build a comprehensive navigation network covering cislunar space, supporting multi-mission coordinated operations.

References

  • Shangguan Yong, Zheng Peng, Zhang Hua, et al. Research on the Current Status and Technology Development of Cislunar Space Navigation[J]. Telemetry and Remote Sensing, 2026.
  • Li Gang, Jiefang, Wu Yifan, et al. Prospect of Deep Space Navigation Technology Development[J]. Acta Geodaetica et Cartographica Sinica, 2025, 54(3): 397-409.