New Contract Inked for Commercial Launch of APSTAR VI

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, October 25, 2002

New Contract Inked for Commercial Launch of APSTAR VI

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On October 23, China Great Wall Industry Corporation and Hong Kong-based APT Satellite Co. Ltd. signed a contract in Beijing for the launch of APSTAR VI by an LM-3B carrier rocket at Xichang Satellite Launch Center at the end of 2004.

APSTAR VI, a GEO communication satellite, was built by Alcatel France, and is used to replace APSTAR-1A. Completely made of European parts for the first time ever, the satellite has 50 transponders, with 38 C-wavers and 12 KU-wavers, and a 13 in-orbit life span. It covers China, Southeast Asia, Australia, Hawaii etc. The satellite is bound to become an important communication platform for radio and TV.

Designed and built by China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology under China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the LM-3B is currently the most powerful launch vehicle in the commercial Long March fleet. Since August in 1997, it has achieved four consecutive successes.

And since China's aerospace sector entered the international commercial launch market over 10 years ago, the sector has completed 22 commercial launch missions, sending 27 foreign satellites into pre-defined orbits and providing five carrying services. Qualified for carrying GEO satellites in 5.1 ton and LEO satellites in 9.2 ton, the Long March fleet can meet the demands of satellite launching for miscellaneous uses, with different weights and in various orbits.

By PD Online Staff Zhu Lizhen

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