European broadcasting satellite Has Been launched by Chinese LM-3B rocket

 

A French communications satellite destined to serve markets in a swath from Europe to the Indian Ocean launched on top of a Chinese Long March rocket Friday.

The spacecraft will be operated by Eutelsat, a leading international communications satellite owner based in Paris. Named W3C, the platform carries Ku-band and

Ka-band transponders for television broadcasting and data services, according to Eutelsat.

The satellite lifted off at approximately 0820 GMT (4:20 a.m. EDT) Friday from the Xichang space base in southwest China's Sichuan province. It was Friday afternoon at the launch site.

The almost 12,000-pound spacecraft was deployed by the Long March 3B rocket's third stage about 25 minutes later.

The launch was arranged by China Great Wall Industry Corp., a state-owned firm authorized to sell Long March rockets on the commercial market. Friday's launch was the first time a Chinese rocket launched a Western-owned satellite since 1999.

European-built spacecraft were launched by China in the last decade, but they were for operators in Asia.

Most Western communications satellites are restricted from launching on Chinese rockets because the U.S. government classifies space hardware as weapons systems under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR.

The ITAR standards were expanded by the U.S. government to include satellites due to concerns that China could apply space launch experience toward missile development.

ITAR rules prohibit U.S.-built space hardware from launching on Chinese rockets, but Thales Alenia Space offers an "ITAR-free" version of its satellites without U.S. components to permit flights from China, which are often less expensive than other launch providers.

Eutelsat reported the W3C satellite was in good shape following launch. It's solar arrays were partially deployed within three hours of separation, the company said in a statement.