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Source: People's Daily Client

On July 15, the first domestically-propelled communications satellite, Asia-Pacific 6E, successfully passed the satellite's in-orbit technical acceptance review and the final technical acceptance review of the ground system in Hong Kong, marking the completion of the in-orbit test of the Asia-Pacific 6E communications satellite and its official entry into operation.

The Asia-Pacific 6E communications satellite was developed by the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation using the Dongfanghong-3E satellite platform and is the first satellite of the platform. The satellite is equipped with 25 Ku user beams and 3 Ka gateway beams, with a communication capacity of about 30Gbps and an on-orbit life of 15 years. The successful operation of the Asia-Pacific 6E communications satellite is of great significance for achieving high-load and low-cost satellite platforms, enhancing the international competitiveness of my country's communications satellite platforms, and achieving fully autonomous orbital enhancement and long-term autonomous operation of satellites in orbit, and improving the intelligent autonomy level of my country's satellite platforms.

The APSTAR-6E communications satellite project is the 13th communications satellite in-orbit delivery project provided by China Great Wall Satellite Company, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, to domestic and foreign users. It is operated by Hong Kong APSTAR Satellite Co., Ltd. and entrusted to Hong Kong APSTAR Satellite Co., Ltd. for measurement and control management. APSTAR-6E communications satellite focuses on the Southeast Asian market and provides the region with cost-effective high-throughput broadband communications services.

The Asia-Pacific 6E communications satellite and independent propulsion module combination was successfully launched on January 13, 2023 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center by the Long March 2C carrier rocket, which was developed by the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. On January 23, 2023, after the satellite separated from the combination, it autonomously changed its orbit through its own Hall/ion electric propulsion system, and arrived at the synchronous orbit on June 10, 2024 and was fixed at the test orbit. The Asia-Pacific 6E communications satellite is the world's first communications satellite to achieve fully autonomous orbit transfer from low earth orbit to geosynchronous orbit.

After arriving at the synchronous orbit, the in-orbit test of the Asia-Pacific 6E communication satellite was carried out smoothly. After completing the first phase of in-orbit test on July 9, it was re-positioned at the working orbit position of 134 degrees east longitude, and operated with the Asia-Pacific 6C/Asia-Pacific 6D satellites. On July 15, all test items specified in the in-orbit test outline were completed. The payload of the Asia-Pacific 6E communication satellite worked normally and performed well, which was consistent with the ground test results, meeting the contract indicators and in-orbit use requirements. The two sets of four electric propulsion systems of Hall/ion configured on the platform all met the requirements for station keeping.