| Type: | Subsidiary |
| Sino Satellite Communications | |
| Foundation: | May 1994 |
| Location City: | Beijing |
| Location Country: | China |
| Area Served: | mainland China |
| Industry: | Aerospace |
| Parent: | China Satcom |
| Owner: | Chinese Government (via China Satcom) |
| Products: | Satellite communication |
| Homepage: | sinosatcom.com |
Sino Satellite Communications Co., Ltd. known also as SinoSat is a Chinese company.
It provided satellite communications through a pair of communications satellites in geostationary orbit. Their two satellites were, SinoSat 1 and SinoSat 3. A third satellite, SinoSat 2, failed shortly after launch.
Sino Satellite Communications was formed in 1994. It was a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). In 2007, a new joint venture was formed with another state-owned company China Satellite Communications, which SinoSat 1 and other assets was injected to the joint venture as share capital.[1] However, in 2009 China Satellite Communications was assigned as a subsidiary of CASC by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (excluding some assets that were assigned to China Telecommunications Corporation).[2] Since then, Sino Satellite Communications became a subsidiary of China Satellite Communications, with all the satellites were under the brand ChinaSat instead.
In 2016 Sino Satellite Communications sold a 15% stake of a company to Shenglu Telecommunication.[3] [4]
Sinosat-1 was built by Aérospatiale using a Spacebus 3000 satellite bus. It was launched by a Long March 3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre at 09:20 GMT on 18 July 1998. It was placed into a geostationary orbit, and is currently operating in a slot at 110.5° East of the Greenwich Meridian. It was redesignated Chinasat 5B.
SinoSat 1C was the brand name of Apstar 2R/Telstar 10 in China.[5]
SinoSat 1C was the brand name of Telstar 18 in China.
Sinosat-2 was based on the DFH-4 bus. It was launched at 16:20 GMT on 28 October 2006, also using a Long March 3B. After launch, its solar panels and communications antenna failed to deploy, making the satellite unusable.[6]
Sinosat-3 is a DFH-3 satellite, which was launched at 16:08 GMT on 31 May 2007. A Long March 3A rocket was used to place it into geosynchronous transfer orbit, making the 100th flight of a Long March rocket. It operates in geostationary orbit at 125° East. It was redesignated ChinaSat 5C.
Launched in 2011. Renamed to ChinaSat 10[7]
Launched in 2010 by a Long March 3B rocket. Renamed to ChinaSat 6A.[8]
According to the company website, Sino Satellite Communications was owned by several state-owned companies, namely China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), CITIC Group and China Financial Computerization Corporation .[9] However,, CASC owned 99.26% stake directly and indirectly.[10]