Apstar VI

Apstar VI

Mission duration	15 years
Spacecraft properties
Bus	Spacebus 4000C1
Manufacturer	Alcatel Space
Launch mass	5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	April 12, 2005 (2005-04-12)
Rocket	Chang Zheng 3B
Launch site	Xichang LA-2
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Geostationary
Longitude	134° East
Transponders
Band	38 C band 12 Ku band
Bandwidth	36 MHz 50 MHz
TWTA power	64W (C band) 145 (Ku band)
EIRP	at Peak: 42 decibel-watts 60 decibel-watts

Apstar VI is a communications satellite built by Alcatel Space, a subsidiary of Alcatel, and was boosted into orbit on April 12, 2005 by Long March 3B launcher from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China. It provides APT Satellite Holdings Limited (APT), a satellite operator in the Asia Pacific region, with broadband media and television services. It is fitted with 38 C-band transponders and 12 K_u band transponders. China is covered with a dedicated high power K_u band beam for broadband multimedia transmission. It is the second model of the Spacebus 4000. The transponders have a reduced C-band receiving dish over a wide footprint, which extends across India, China and Australia.

It is significant in enhancing cooperation between Alcatel Space and China as a follow up to the SINOSAT satellite.

External sources

• Alcatel press release
• APT website
• Apstar VI footprint(s) at SatBeams