China launches commercial communications satellite
Posted: Tue, Apr 12, 2005, 7:22 PM ET (2322 GMT)
A Chinese Long March booster launched a Western-built commercial communications satellite late Tuesday. The Long March 3B rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 8:00 am EDT (1200 GMT, 8 pm Beijing time) Tuesday and successfully placed the APStar 6 communications satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The 4,600-kg satellite, an Alcatel Spacebus 4000 C1, carries 38 C-band and 12 Ku-band transponders and will be located in GEO at 134 degrees east. The satellite will be used by APT Satellite Holdings to provide communications services to much of the Asia-Pacific region; the company noted that the Ku-band payload, equipped with anti-jamming technologies, will primarily be used for China. The launch was the first to carry a Western-built payload since the United States enacted export control restrictions on satellite technology destined for China. To get around those restrictions, Alcatel replaced components usually supplied by US manufacturers with alternatives from non-US companies.
A Chinese Long March booster launched a Western-built commercial communications satellite late Tuesday. The Long March 3B rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 8:00 am EDT (1200 GMT, 8 pm Beijing time) Tuesday and successfully placed the APStar 6 communications satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The 4,600-kg satellite, an Alcatel Spacebus 4000 C1, carries 38 C-band and 12 Ku-band transponders and will be located in GEO at 134 degrees east. The satellite will be used by APT Satellite Holdings to provide communications services to much of the Asia-Pacific region; the company noted that the Ku-band payload, equipped with anti-jamming technologies, will primarily be used for China. The launch was the first to carry a Western-built payload since the United States enacted export control restrictions on satellite technology destined for China. To get around those restrictions, Alcatel replaced components usually supplied by US manufacturers with alternatives from non-US companies.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
NASA IG cites overconfidence and unrealistic schedules for Starliner woes
Posted: Sat, Jul 4 8:11 PM ET (0011 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Friday, July 17
Serbia joins NASA's space exploration partnership Artemis Accords
SeeNews — 5:11 am ET (0911 GMT) The Italian Space Agency announces the passing of President Teodoro Valente
ASI — 5:09 am ET (0909 GMT) Deep space pioneer Henon signs to launch with Plato
ESA — 5:08 am ET (0908 GMT) Taiwan lawmakers to remove legal hurdles for Starlink to operate
The Standard (Hong Kong) — 5:06 am ET (0906 GMT) UK to field offensive space squadrons in national first
UK Defence Journal — 5:05 am ET (0905 GMT) |
