Chinasat-9

Chinasat-9

Operator	China DBSAT
Major contractors	Thales Alenia Space
Bus	Spacebus-4000C2
Mission type	Communication
Launch date	12:15 GMT, 9 June 2008
Carrier rocket	Long March 3B
Launch site	LA-2, Xichang
Mass	4,500 kilograms (9,900 lb)[1]
Orbital elements
Regime	Geosynchronous
Longitude	92.2°E

Chinasat 9, also known as Zhongxing 9 (中星九號) or ZX-9, is a Chinese communications satellite. It was launched from pad 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre on 9 June 2008, at 12:15 GMT, by a Long March 3B carrier rocket.^[2] It is based on the Spacebus 4000C2 satellite bus, and was constructed in France by Thales Alenia Space in its Cannes Mandelieu Space Center.^[3] It is one of several Chinasat spacecraft in orbit.

It was launched to act as a relay satellite for the 2008 Olympic Games, and will subsequently be used for general communications. It is operated by the China Direct Broadcast Satellite Company on behalf of the China Ministry of Post and Telecommunications. Equipped with 22 NATO J-band (IEEE K_u band) transponders, it will be placed in geosynchronous orbit at a longitude of 92.2° East.^[2]

See also

• Chinasat

References

1. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "ZX 9 (Chinasat 9)". Gunter's Space Page. http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/zx-9.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-09. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Barbosa, Rui C. (2008-06-09). "CZ-3B Chang Zheng-3B launches ChinaSat-9". NASASpaceflight.com. http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2008/06/cz-3b-chang-zheng-3b-launches-chinasat-9/. Retrieved 2008-06-09. 
3. ^ Yuxia, Jiang (2008-06-09). "China launches French-built satellite". Xinhua. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/09/content_8334551.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-09.