China’s first fully electric communication satellite, APSTAR 6E, officially commenced operation on 15 July 2024.
- It was launched by a Long March 2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province in January 2023.
- APSTAR 6E took 514 days to transition from a low-Earth orbit, where it was deployed, to its designated geosynchronous orbit.
- It is developed by the China Academy of Space Technology.
- APSTAR 6E is the first satellite based on the DFH-3E electric propulsion platform, designed for geosynchronous orbit operations.
