NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

SinoSat 1

Launch Time
Sat Jul 18, 1998 09:20 UTC

Rocket

Long March 3B
Image Credit: CASC
CAC
Status: Retired
Liftoff Thrust: 5,924 kN
Payload to LEO: 11,500 kg
Payload to GTO: 5,100 kg
Stages: 3
Strap-ons: 4
Rocket Height: 54.84 m
Fairing Diameter: 4.0 m
Fairing Height: 9.56 m

Mission Details

SinoSat 1

Sino Satellite Communications was formed in 1994 with Chinese participation from the China Aerospace Corp (CASC), the Commission of Defence Science & Technology (COSTIND), the People's Bank of China, and the Government of Shanghai. Sino Satellite was formed in an effort to overturn ChinaSat's domination (along with the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications) of the Chinese satellite communications market.

Aérospatiale built Xinnuo 1 (Sinosat 1) at its facilities in Cannes, with the delivery in November 1997 of the satellite to the customer, the Chinese-German company Euraspace, acting on behalf of Sinosatcom, a Chinese company. This was the fifth satellite using the Spacebus-3000A platform.

It is a powerful three-axis satellite with a liftoff weight of 2,820 kg. Its solar array, spanning 26 meters, supplies over 5 kW to the payload of twenty-four C-band channels (36 MHz) and fourteen Ku-band channels (54 MHz). Three antennas, including two deployable antennas measuring 1.6 and 1.8 meters in diameter, and a 1 m in diameter fixed antenna, cover the targeted zone from an orbital position at 110.5°; East on the geostationary orbit, during a life span exceeding 15 years.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 2,820.0 kg
Geostationary Transfer Orbit

Location

LC-2, Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China

Stats

1998

45th orbital launch attempt

Long March 3

20th mission
2nd mission of 1998
15th successful mission
6th consecutive successful mission