📋 Tender Overview
The first domestically-propelled communications satellite, Asia-Pacific 6E Satellite, successfully passed the satellite's in-orbit technical acceptance review and the final technical acceptance review of the ground system in Hong Kong on the 15th, marking the completion of its in-orbit testing and its official entry into operation.
The APSTAR-6E satellite was developed by the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation using the Dongfanghong-3E satellite platform and is the first satellite of this platform. The satellite is equipped with 25 Ku user beams and 3 Ka gateway beams, with a communication capacity of about 30Gbps and an on-orbit life of 15 years.
Experts from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation introduced that the successful operation of the Asia-Pacific 6E satellite is of great significance for achieving high-load capacity and low cost of satellite platforms, enhancing the international competitiveness of my country's communication satellite platforms, realizing fully autonomous orbit upgrades and long-term autonomous operation of satellites in orbit, and improving the intelligent autonomy level of my country's satellite platforms.
The Asia-Pacific 6E satellite and independent propulsion module combination was successfully launched by the Long March 2C carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on January 13, 2023. The rocket was developed and manufactured by the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
On January 23, 2023, 10 days after the successful launch, the satellite separated from the assembly and autonomously changed its orbit through its own Hall and ion electric propulsion systems, arriving in the synchronous orbit and stationary at the test orbit on June 10, 2024. The Asia-Pacific 6E satellite is the world's first communications satellite to achieve fully autonomous orbit transfer from low-Earth orbit to geosynchronous orbit.
After arriving at the synchronous orbit, the on-orbit test of the APSTAR-6E satellite was carried out smoothly. After completing the first phase of on-orbit test on July 9, it was re-positioned at the working orbit position of 134 degrees east longitude, and operated with the APSTAR-6C/6D satellites. On July 15, all test items specified in the on-orbit test outline were completed. The payload of the APSTAR-6E satellite worked normally and performed well, which was consistent with the ground test results, meeting the contract indicators and on-orbit use requirements. The two sets of four electric propulsion systems of the Hall and ion propulsion systems configured on the platform all met the requirements for station keeping.
The APSTAR-6E satellite project is the 13th in-orbit communication satellite delivery project provided by China Great Wall Company, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, to domestic and foreign users. It is operated by Hong Kong APSTAR Satellite Co., Ltd. and entrusted to Hong Kong APTSAT Co., Ltd. for measurement and control management. The APSTAR-6E communication satellite focuses on the Southeast Asian market and provides the region with cost-effective high-throughput broadband communication services.
