China News Agency, Beijing, January 13th. At 2:10 on January 13, 2023, Beijing time, China successfully launched the Asia Pacific 6E satellite using the Long March 2C carrier rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. This is China's first all-electric pusher. Communication satellites are mainly used to provide high-throughput communication services for Southeast Asia.

　　The Long March 2C carrier rocket was developed by the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It is a medium-sized two-stage conventional liquid carrier rocket. It was successfully launched for the first time on September 9, 1982. The longest-serving rocket among launch vehicles.

The satellite launched this time weighed 4.3 tons, making it the heaviest satellite ever launched into orbit by the Long March 2C carrier rocket.

　　Asia-Pacific 6E satellite adopts the Dongfanghong-3E satellite platform, with a design life of 15 years. It is the thirteenth communication satellite provided by China Great Wall Industry Group Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

The satellite focuses on the Southeast Asian market, providing cost-effective high-throughput broadband communication services for the region.

　　The satellite is not only a new generation of economical all-electric commercial communication satellite of the Dongfanghong series, but also China's first fully independent orbit transfer satellite.

After the rocket sends the Asia-Pacific 6E satellite and the independent propulsion module assembly to the transition orbit, the satellite will change orbit from the detachable independent propulsion module to the middle orbit, and after separation, the two sets of electric propulsion systems that come with the satellite will automatically change orbit to the synchronous orbit.

　　Experts pointed out that the successful launch of Asia-Pacific 6E is not only for the realization of high load capacity and low cost of the satellite platform, but also for the enhancement of the international competitiveness of the Chinese satellite platform, or for the realization of the satellite's fully autonomous orbit improvement and long-term on-orbit autonomous work, and the improvement of the intelligence and autonomy of the Chinese satellite platform. , are of great significance.

　　This mission is the 460th flight of the Long March series of launch vehicles.

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