
CNES is conducting operations on behalf of prime contractor Alcatel
and its customer, Chinese operator APT Satellite Ltd.
Apstar VI, designed for a nominal service life of 13 to 15 years, is
replacing Apstar 1A to provide continuity of telecommunications services
for China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and Vietnam.
A complex and vital sequence of operations
Immediately after its separation from the launch vehicle, Apstar VI was acquired by CNES teams in Toulouse. The satellite will now be manoeuvred from its initial transfer orbit into a final geostationary orbital slot at 142° East. These operations will be performed through a network of Intelsat ground stations in Perth (Australia), Fucino (Italy) and Clarksburg (United States).
