Mission type Communication Launch site Xichang LA-2 Regime Geostationary Launch mass 4,500 kg Launch date 9 June 2008 Bus Spacebus | Operator China DBSAT Reference system Geocentric Longitude 92.2° East Launch mass 4,500 kg Rocket Long March 3B Manufacturer Thales Alenia Space | |
Similar ChinaSat 6A, INSAT‑3C, Apstar VI, Superbird‑C2, N‑SAT‑110 | ||
Chinasat 9, also known as Zhongxing 9 (中星九號) or ZX-9, is a Chinese communications satellite. It was launched from pad 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre on 9 June 2008, at 12:15 GMT, by a Long March 3B carrier rocket. It is based on the Spacebus 4000C2 satellite bus, and was constructed in France by Thales Alenia Space in its Cannes Mandelieu Space Center. It is one of several Chinasat spacecraft in orbit.
It was launched to act as a relay satellite for the 2008 Olympic Games, and will subsequently be used for general communications. It is operated by the China Direct Broadcast Satellite Company on behalf of the China Ministry of Post and Telecommunications. Equipped with 22 NATO J-band (IEEE Ku band) transponders, it was placed in geosynchronous orbit at a longitude of 92.2° East.