Posted: Tue, Dec 20, 2011, 7:19 AM ET (1219 GMT)
A Chinese rocket placed into orbit Tuesday a new communications satellite for Nigeria. The Long March 3B lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 11:41 am EST monday (1641 GMT Monday, 12:41 am Beijing time Tuesday) and placed the Nigcomsat-1R satelite into geosynchronous transfer orbit. The satellite, built by China Academy of Space Technology, will replace an existing Chinese-built communications satellite for Nigeria that failed in orbit in 2008. The 5,100-kilogram satellite will operate at 42.5 degrees east in GEO, providing communications services in several frequency bands for Nigeria.

Related Links:

•  Spaceflight Now article
•  NASASpaceFlight.com article
•  AFP article
•  Channels (Nigeria) article
•  Xinhua article