Posted: Fri, Nov 14, 2003, 7:24 PM ET (0024 GMT)
A Long March booster successfully launched a Chinese communications satellite early Saturday, Chinese media reported. The Long March 3A booster lifted off from the Xichang launch center in southwestern China at 11:01 am EST Friday (1601 GMT Friday, 12:01 am Beijing time Saturday). The booster placed into orbit the Zhongxing-20 communications satellite. The spacecraft, built by the China Academy of Space Technology and weighing 2.3 tons, will operate from an unspecified location in geosynchronous orbit. The launch is the latest in an unprecedented surge of launches that has seen four launches in the span of one month. China launched Shenzhou 5 on October 15, CBERS 2 and Chuangxin 1 on October 21, and a small science satellite, FSW-18, on November 3. Prior to the launch of Shenzhou 5 on October 15 China had carried out only one successful launch in 2003, in additional to an unpublicized failure of a small launch vehicle.

Related Links:

•  Xinhua article
•  AP article