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Nov. 27, 2012
Long March 3B rocket
The Chinese have launched the ChinaSat-12 (Zhongxing-12) communications satellite into orbit via a Long March 3B/E (Chang Zheng-3B/E) on Tuesday – their 18th orbital launch of the year. The launch took place at 10:13 UTC from the LC2 launch pad at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
ChinaSat-12 lifted off on a Long March 3B rocket (in Chinese)
This satellite was originally called Apstar-7B, a Spacebus-4000C2 platform geostationary communications satellite, with 24 C-band and 23 Ku-band high power beams. It was contracted to Thales Alenia Space of France for construction, on behalf of APT Satellites, in April of 2010.
Image above: Chinasat-12 lifted off on a Long March 3B rocket at 6:13 p.m. Beijing time on Tuesday. Credit: Xinhua.
Apstar-7B was a back up satellite, in event Apstar-7 failed to make it to orbit. However, the launch – carried out on March 31, 2012 – was a success, allowing Apstar 7B to be transferred to a secondary agreement between APT Satellites and the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC).
With the secondary agreement in place, the satellite was taken by China Satcom – a state-owned satellite operator in Beijing – and renamed Zhongxing-12 (or ChinaSat-12). Zhongxing-12′s role is to replace Zhongxing-5A (ChinaSat-5A) at 87.5 degrees East.
ChinaSat-12 communications satellite
ChinaSat-12 had a lift-off mass of 5,054 kg and a design lifetime over 15 years. It uses a S400 propulsion system and is equipped with two deployable solar arrays.
For more information about CNSA, visit: http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n615709/cindex.html
Images, Video, Text, Credits: CNSA / Xinhua / Thales Alenia / CNTV / Orbiter.ch Aerospace.
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