A China-made Long March 3B rocket heads for space from the launching center in Xichang in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 20:00 (Beijing time) on April 12, 2005.

China launched the APstar 6 at the Xichang Satellite Launching Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan on Tuesday. It was the country's first commercial launching of telecommunications satellite since 1999.

At 20:00, a Long March 3-II rocket carrier sent the APstar 6 into the skies. Twenty-five minutes later the rocket and the satellite separated as planned.

The Long March 3-II is the most powerful of the Long March rocket family, being able to bring a load of as much as 5.1 tons into orbit, which can meet different demands of commercial launchings in the world market.

It was the 84th launch of the Long March series and the 42nd successful operation of Long March rockets since October 1996.

The APstar 6 is manufactured by the French company Alcatel for the owner and operator the APT Satellite Company Ltd., Hong Kong. The China Great Wall Industry Company is the general contractor of the project.

The company will also launch the APstar 6B with a Long March 3-II, according to sources with the Great Wall.

The APstar 6 is 4.6 tons in weight and has 38 C channel transmitters and Ku channel transmitters.

China has contracted more than 20 commercial launches of overseas satellites for a dozen foreign countries and regions. The APstar 6 is the 30th overseas satellite launched by Chinese rocket carriers.

According to the Xi'an Satellite Measuring and Controlling Center, the satellite entered synchronic orbit at a perigee of 209 kilometers, an apogee of 49,991 kilometers, and an orbital obliquity of 26 degrees.