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Launch Success
Liftoff Time (GMT)
10:00:00
Saturday May 30, 1998
The Zhongwei 1 (Chinastar 1) satellite, an A2100A class comsat built by Lockheed Martin for the China Orient Telecommunications Satellite Co., part of the Chinese telecoms ministry. Zhongwei 1 will serve China, India, Korea, and Southeast Asia with 18 C-band and 20 Ku-band transponders. It was orbited on a CZ-3B launch vehicle using a supersynchronous transfer orbit. In 2010, the satellite was taken over by China Satcom and renamed ZX 5A (ChinaSat 5A). In 2013, APT and China Satcom struck an agreement under which APT would lease the satellite to prepare the market for the arrival of APStar 9 and move it to 142° east, where it has been renamed APStar 9A. The satellite was retired in June 2018 and moved to a graveyard orbit.
Geostationary Transfer Orbit
1 Payload
2,984 kilograms
Manufacturer
CASCRocket
Height: 54.84m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 11,500 kg
GTO: 5,100 kg
Liftoff Thrust
5,924 Kilonewtons
Fairing
Diameter: 4m
Height: 9.56m
Stages
3
Strap-ons
4
19th
Mission
1st
Mission of 1998
34th
Orbital launch attempt