Posted: Tue, Jun 10 6:40 AM ET (1040 GMT)
A Long March rocket launched a French-built communications satellite on Monday that will be used to provide TV coverage of the upcoming Olympics. The Long March 3B rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center and placed into geosynchronous transfer orbit the Zhongxing-9 (Chinasat-9) satellite. The spacecraft, built by Thales Alenia Space for Chinese company China Satcom, will initially be used to improve the quality and coverage of TV broadcasts of the Beijing Olympics across China. The spacecraft, a Spacebus 4000 model, weighed about 4,500 kilograms at launch and carries 22 Ku-band transponders; it will operate from 92.2 degrees east in GEO.

Related Links:

•  Xinhua article
•  Spaceflight Now article
•  NASA SpaceFlight.com article
•  Space News article (subscription required)
•  CCTV article

Posted: Tue, May 27 8:48 PM ET (0048 GMT)
A Long March rocket launched a polar-orbiting weather satellite Tuesday that will be used to improve weather forecasts for the upcoming Olympics in Beijing. The Long March-4C lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 11:02 pm EDT Monday (0302 GMT, 11:02 am Beijing time Tuesday) and placed the Fengyun-3A satellite into polar orbit. The 2,2965-kilogram spacecraft is the first in a new generation of polar-orbiting weather satellites with improved sensors. the Chinese government plans to use the satellite's data to help develop more accurate weather forecasts for the Olympics this August.

Related Links:

•  Xinhua article
•  Spaceflight Now article
•  NASA SpaceFlight.com article
•  AP article
•  AFP article

China launches data relay satellite
Posted: Sat, Apr 26 7:31 AM ET (1131 GMT)
A Long March rocket launched a data relay satellite Friday that will be used to support China's human spaceflight program. The Long March 3C...

China releases first Chang'e-1 image
Posted: Tue, Nov 27 6:52 AM ET (1152 GMT)
The Chinese space agency released on Monday the first image of the lunar surface taken by its Chang'e-1 lunar orbiter. The image, unveiled...

China launches remote sensing satellite
Posted: Mon, Nov 12 5:25 AM ET (1025 GMT)
A Long March rocket placed a Chinese remote sensing satellite into orbit on Monday. The Long March 4C lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch...