Zhongwei 1 (ChinaStar 1) → ZX 5A (ChinaSat 5A) → APStar 9A

Zhongwei 1 [Lockheed Martin]

The Zhongwei 1 (Chinastar 1) satellite, an A2100A class comsat built by Lockheed Martin for the China Orient Telecommunications Satellite Co., part of the Chinese telecoms ministry. Zhongwei 1 will serve China, India, Korea and southeast Asia with 18 C-band and 20 Ku-band transponders. It was orbited on a CZ-3B launch vehicle using a supersynchronous transfer orbit.

In 2010, the satellite was taken over by China Satcom and renamed ZX 5A (ChinaSat 5A). In 2013, APT and China Satcom struck an agreement under which APT would lease the satellite to prepare the market for the arrival of APStar 9 and move it to 142 east, where it has been renamed APStar 9A.

The satellite was retired in June 2018 and moved to a graveyard orbit.

Nation: China
Type / Application: Communication
Operator: China Orient Telecommunications Satellite Company → China Satcom
Contractors: Lockheed Martin
Equipment: 18 C-band transponders, 20 Ku-band transponders
Configuration: A2100A
Propulsion: LEROS-1c
Power: 2 deployable solar arrays, batteries
Lifetime: 15 years
Mass: 2984 kg (1418 kg BOL)
Orbit: GEO
Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
Zhongwei 1 (ChinaStar 1) → ZX 5A (ChinaSat 5A) → APStar 9A 1998-033A 30.05.1998 Xi LC-2 CZ-3B

Launch Sites:

  • Xi =   Xichang Space Center (Songlin), Sichuan, China   China
Further APStar missions:

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