China launched a satellite for Pakistan

China has successfully launched an information satellite for Pakistan from its satellite center in southwest China.

According to China Daily , the PAKSAT-1R information satellite has been launched by China at Pakistan at 1:15 local time yesterday from the West Xuong satellite center, Sichuan province, southwest China.

The PAKSAT-1R information satellite was launched yesterday morning
at Xichang Satellite Center, Sichuan, China. (Photo: Xinhua)

Satellite is carried by Long March-3B missile. This is the first satellite to be delivered to Asian customers by China and also the country's first commercial satellite export to international users this year.

The control center said that the satellite had successfully separated from the missile and entered a geostationary orbit as expected, 26 minutes after leaving the ground.

PAKSAT-1R will include a range of services, including broadband Internet, telecommunications and television, covering a number of areas such as Europe, South Asia, the Middle East and east Africa.

The PAKSAT-1R launch contract was signed between China's Great Wall Industrial Group and Pakistan's Space Research Committee in 2008.

China and Pakistan have collaborated on space technology for quite a long time. Pakistan's first low orbit satellite BADR-A was launched by China in 1990 with Long March 2E missiles.