China's first anti-jamming satellite, capable of carrying radio
and TV signals to the whole of China, is scheduled to be sent into
orbit next year from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in
southwest China's Sichuan
Province.
Officials with the Chinese
Academy of Space Technology, which developed the satellite,
said the SINOSAT-II was designed to resist possible interference
from outside sources.
However, the officials, declining to be identified, said, "We
cannot tell you right now how effective the satellite will be in
resisting such interference. Everything will be clear after it is
launched."
"Interference" refers mainly to attacks by Falun Gong cult
devotees on television signals transmitted by the Sino Satellite
(SINOSAT) system, which covers the entire nation.
One of the latest attacks occurred in October, when Falun Gong
cult followers prevented Chinese viewers from watching broadcasts
of China's first manned space mission by blocking SINOSAT.
Signals transmitted by cult activists interfered with the
broadcast of the Shenzhou V flight and other regular programs of
China Central Television and some local TV stations.
The illegal signals originated in Taiwan, according to the
Ministry of Information Industry.
The large-capacity SINOSAT-II, designed and developed solely by
China, has a 15-year mission life, the China News Service quoted
Zhou Zhicheng as saying. Zhou is the satellite's chief
designer.
An experimental satellite will soon be sent by air to Xichang
for a one-month rehearsal.
The rehearsal should indicate how well the SINOSAT-II and the
launch system work so that next year's launch will be a success,
sources said. The real SINOSAT-II is currently being
manufactured.
If successful, SINOSAT-II will become China's stepping stone to
the international large-capacity communication satellite market,
sources said.
Currently, China sells no such satellite in the international
market; China itself is leasing them from other countries.
With a record number of satellite launches planned for this
year, China's space program is entering a pivotal period.
The country is looking to place 10 satellites into orbit in
2004, more than any other year in history, according to Zhang
Qingwei, a top aerospace official.
Last year the nation not only launched half a dozen satellites
into orbit, but also joined the very small club of nations who have
put humans into space. Other than China, only the former Soviet
Union and the United States have accomplished the feat.
(China Daily March 4, 2004)