| Apstar 7 | |
| Mission Type: | Communication |
| Operator: | APT Satellite |
| Cospar Id: | 2012-013A |
| Satcat: | 38107 |
| Mission Duration: | 15 years |
| Spacecraft Bus: | Spacebus-4000C2 |
| Manufacturer: | Thales Alenia Space |
| Launch Date: | UTC |
| Launch Site: | Xichang LC-2 |
| Orbit Epoch: | 19 December 2013, 16:37:15 UTC[1] |
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric |
| Orbit Regime: | Geostationary |
| Orbit Periapsis: | 35784km (22,235miles) |
| Orbit Apoapsis: | 35802km (22,246miles) |
| Orbit Inclination: | 0.04 degrees |
| Orbit Period: | 23.93 hours |
| Orbit Longitude: | 76.5° East |
| Apsis: | gee |
Apstar-7 is a Chinese communications satellite which is operated by APT Satellite as part of the Apstar system. It was launched in 2012 as a replacement for the Apstar 2R satellite launched in 1997.[2]
Apstar-7 was constructed by Thales Alenia Space, and is based on the Spacebus-4000C2 satellite bus. The satellite had a mass at launch of, and is expected to operate for at least 15 years.[3] It is positioned in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 76.5 degrees East, and carries 56 transponders with an operating power of 8.4 kilowatts;[3] 28 operating in the C band and providing services to Asia, Africa, eastern and central Europe and Australia and the other 28 operating in the, covering Africa, the Middle East, China, and Taiwan.[4] The satellite's solar arrays generate 11.4 kilowatts of power.
Apstar-7 was launched by a Long March 3B/E carrier rocket, flying from Launch Complex 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. Liftoff took place at 10:27 UTC on 31 March 2012, with the rocket placing the satellite into a supersynchronous transfer orbit.[5]
Thales Alenia Space built Apstar-7 as an ITAR-free satellite, containing no restricted American components.[6] The United States prohibits the export of satellite components when a Chinese launcher will be used. Ironically, the US Department of Defense leased bandwidth on Apstar-7 in May 2012 to improve communications with the U.S. Africa Command.[7] In 2013, Thales Alenia was forced to discontinue its ITAR-free satellite line after US supplier Aeroflex admitted that it had sold them ITAR-controlled components.[8]