Beijing (CNS) -- The first Turkmen communication satellite, produced by the French company Thales Alenia Space, will be launched aboard the Chinese Long March 3B. It will also be the first time the Chinese aerospace industry participates in a Turkmen satellite launch. The arrangement was included in a service contract signed between China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) and its French counterpart on December 5, according to the CGWIC, Tuesday.
The launch is slated for the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in 2014, and will be aimed at the sky right above the earth's 52 degrees east longitude point. Weighing around 4.5 tons and expected to serve its mission for 15 years, the satellite was manufactured on the SPACEBUS 4000C2 platform developed by Thales Alenia Space, and it carries a transponder in the Ku frequency range.
