China launches communications satellite on 30th mission of the year (video)
NASA Space Technology China just boosted its geostationary communications satellite fleet.A Long March 7A rocket lifted off from the coastal Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan island at 7:57 a.m. EDT (1157 GMT, or 7:57 p.m. Beijing time) on June 29. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the country's main space contractor, declared the mission a complete success.The payload, called ChinaSat-3A (Zhongxing-3A), is destined for geostationary orbit22,236 miles (35,785 kilometers) above Earth. It is described briefly as a communication and broadcasting satellite, which will provide voice, data, radio and television transmission services, according to Chinese state media.A Long March 7A rocket launches the ChinaSat-3A satellite on June 29, 2024. (Image credit: CCTV)The satellite was designed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), while the rocket was provided by the...