BEIJING (AP) - China
launched a domestically produced communications satellite into orbit Sunday to
provide wider and more advanced television services across the country, the
state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
A Long March-3B rocket
lifted off from the Xichang launching site in western Sichuan province at 12:20
a.m. local time and 25 minutes later placed the 5.1-ton satellite into orbit,
Xinhua said.
The
Sinosat-2 satellite was built by the China Academy of Space Technology for the
Sino Satellite Communications Co., or Sinosat, a state-run provider of
satellite communications.
Sinosat-2 is designed to
provide broader coverage of TV signals and allow for more digital and live
broadcast TV services across China, Xinhua said.
China's decades-old
aerospace program has gathered momentum in recent years, allowing the country
to place more advanced satellites into orbit for both commercial and military
purposes.
Sinosat-1, built by the
French company Aerospatiale, was launched in 1998. Sinosat plans to launch a
third satellite next year mainly to provide radio and TV services, Xinhua
said.
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