China’s first all-electric telecommunications satellite officially began operational services on Monday after technical review of the ground and orbital systems in Hong Kong, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the satellite’s developer.
As the first satellite in the DFH-3E series, it is also the world’s first telecommunications satellite to perform a fully autonomous orbit transfer from low Earth orbit to geostationary orbit, CASC said.
The satellite was launched by a Long March-2C carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on January 13, 2023. After separation from its independent propulsion module, the satellite was transferred to a synchronous orbit by its dual electric propulsion systems. It is mainly used to provide cost-effective and high-throughput broadband communication services for the Southeast Asian region.
Source: https://www.chinahoje.net/primeiro-satelite-chines-de-telecomunicacao-com-propulsao-totalmente-eletrica-comeca-servicos-operacionais/
