China launched a new telecommunications satellite, the Zhongxing-22A, with a Long March-3A rocket carrier, at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, at 00:02 AM Wednesday.

Twenty-five minutes later, the Xi'an Satellite Monitoring and Control Center, reported that the Zhongxing-22A had successfully entered the preset orbit at a perigee of 207 kilometers and an apogee of 42,000 kilometers.

The Zhongxing-22A, an earth-synchronous telecommunications satellite, was designed by the Chinese Academy of Space Technology under the China Aerospace Technology Group Company.

The satellite has been designed to operate for eight years. It’s owned by the China Telecommunication Broadcast Satellite Company under the China Telecommunications Satellite Group Company.

It’s the 10th successful launch in succession of the Long March-3A and the 91st launch of the Long March rocket carriers.

Since October, 1996, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center has completed 18 successive launches without problems and it's also the country's 49th successful space launch in sequence.

According to some experts once the satellite shifts its position it’ll be fixed above the Equator at 98 degrees east longitude and guided by the Xi'an Center and ocean-going space monitoring vessels. Afterwards it’ll be handed over to the owner.

(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2006)