Posted: Wed, Sep 13, 2006, 8:31 AM ET (1231 GMT)
A Long March rocket placed a communications satellite into orbit early Wednesday in the second Chinese launch in less than a week. The Long March 3A lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 11:02 am EDT Tuesday (1502 GMT Tuesday, 12:02 am Beijing time Wednesday) and placed the Zhongxing 22A satellite into a grosynchronous transfer orbit. The satellite, owned by the China Telecommunication Broadcast Satellite Company, will operate in GEO at 98 degrees east. The launch is the second in less than a week for China, after a smaller Long March 2C launched a science satellite early Saturday, but is only the third Chinese launch of the year.

Related Links:

•  Xinhua article
•  PTI article