Posted: Tue, Jul 14, 2020, 7:33 PM ET (2333 GMT)
A Long March 3B rocket successfully launched the Apstar-6D communications satellite Thursday. The rocket, lifting off at 8:11 am EDT (1211 GMT) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, placed the 5,500-kilogram satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit. The satellite is the first commercial success of China’s enhanced Dongfanghong-4 platform, the DFH-4E, which includes upgraded components to lighten the satellite platform and allow more room for communications payloads. APT Mobile has described Apstar-6D as the first of a global system of three or four satellites for broadband connectivity to aircraft, ships and remote locations.
