Posted: Sun, Apr 1, 2012, 9:32 AM ET (1332 GMT)
A Chinese Long March rocket successfully launched a French-built communications satellite on Saturday. The Long March 3B rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 6:27 am EDT (1027 GMT, 6:27 pm Beijing time) and released the Apstar-7 satellite into a geosynchrous transfer orbit 26 minutes later. Apstar-7 is a Spacebus 4000C2 model satellite built by French company Thales Alenia Space for Hong Kong-based satellite operator APT Satellite Holdings. The satellite, weighing about 5,000 kilograms at launch, carries 28 C-band and 28 Ku-band transponders, and will operate from 76.5 degrees east in GEO, replacing the existing Apstar-2R satellite.

Related Links:

•  Spaceflight Now article
•  NASASpaceFlight.com article
•  Xinhua article
•  APT Satellite Holdings press release