China will launch a new satellite for television broadcasting,
mobile communications and other services in late October this year,
Sun Laiyan, administrator of the China National Space
Administration said on Monday.
The satellite, "Xinnuo 2", was given the green light to leave
the factory on Monday after passing final checks by the Commission
of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. A Long
March 3B carrier rocket will be used to launch the satellite.
"Xinnuo 2" is China's first large-capacity communications
satellite, according to experts from the Chinese Research Institute
of Space Technology.
The satellite, designed to have a life span of 15 years, will
provide live television broadcasting services to the Chinese
mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
"Xinnuo 2", which has taken China six years to develop, marks a
breakthrough in China's development of a new generation of
large-capacity static orbit satellites, Sun said.
China achieved several important technology breakthroughs
through independent research during the development of the
satellite and possesses the intellectual property rights to these
technologies, he said.
(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2006)