China Great Wall Industry Corp. has won a contract that will enable it to develop a new satellite for APT Satellite. This partnership will inform the development of the Apstar-6E satellite with better performance and efficiency than its predecessor. The Apstar-6E satellite is a product of the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), whose efforts focus on the engineering of the DFH-3E. The satellite will enter space in the next three years to facilitate telecommunication operations in the Asia-Pacific area.
The contract’s value is $137.6 million, which will oversee the satellite’s development and deployment. The customer will be paying the price of every successful step that the company performs in this project. A report by the Hong Kong stock exchange reveals that CGWIC and APT Satellite Holdings will use this contract to formalize their upcoming partnership. This partnership will inform the development of other projects.
This partnership’s success through the project will bring together the primary components of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC). This association will enable the Long March rocket missions to proceed without fail. Various entities like the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) will provide their support for these programs and enhance the industry’s development. The stock capacity of CASC in APT Satellite Holdings is enough for the agency to demand the presence of an independent committee to oversee the process and prevent unfair treatment by any party. The current contract requires the development and launch of Apstar-6E in the next three years to fulfill the stipulated terms.
CGWIC has confirmed that DFH-3E has the latest technology in propulsion potential and acceleration compared to any other small-sized satellites. This payload will provide the telecommunication services that the company wants to access. The small size of the payload facilitates its buoyancy, making it deployable by the Long March 2C rocket. Other payloads would not suit into this rocket. Additionally, this will be the first time for the rocket to deploy a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).
The agreement provides that the development of the CAPSTAR-6E satellite must resume soon to meet the partnership’s purpose. This rocket is a modification of the DFH-4E model, whose remake allows it to host lighter satellites and enable the satellites’ activation for communication with the control center before it detaches its orbit.
Elsewhere, Apstar-6D entered its orbit early last month and will be divulging information to the maritime, navigation systems, and broadband details to the required platforms. CAPSTAR boasts of its satellites, serving the aircrafts, ships, and indigenous areas where accessibility is challenging.