China launched a new telecommunications satellite, the
Zhongxing-22A, with a Long March-3A rocket carrier, at the Xichang
Satellite Launch Center, at 00:02 AM Wednesday.
Twenty-five minutes later, the Xi'an Satellite Monitoring and
Control Center, reported that the Zhongxing-22A had successfully
entered the preset orbit at a perigee of 207 kilometers and an
apogee of 42,000 kilometers.
The Zhongxing-22A, an earth-synchronous telecommunications
satellite, was designed by the Chinese Academy of Space Technology
under the China Aerospace Technology Group Company.
The satellite has been designed to operate for eight years. It’s
owned by the China Telecommunication Broadcast Satellite Company
under the China Telecommunications Satellite Group Company.
It’s the 10th successful launch in succession of the Long
March-3A and the 91st launch of the Long March rocket carriers.
Since October, 1996, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center has
completed 18 successive launches without problems and it's also the
country's 49th successful space launch in sequence.
According to some experts once the satellite shifts its position
it’ll be fixed above the Equator at 98 degrees east longitude and
guided by the Xi'an Center and ocean-going space monitoring
vessels. Afterwards it’ll be handed over to the owner.
(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2006)