APSTAR-6E at 134° East

The APSTAR-6E at 134° East satellite is a Chinese high throughput (HTP) communications satellite operated by APT Satellite from Hong Kong. The satellite was constructed by satellite manufacturer CAST from China and is based on CAST’s DFH-3E SmallSat platform. It has a launch mass of only 1,800kgs and has a 15-year life time.

In November 2020 APT Satellite signed a contract with China Great Wall Industry Corp. (CGWIC) of Beijing for the construction and launch of the APSTER-6E satellite. The launch was unusual as it used the light-weight CZ-2C rocket.

APSTAR-6E at 134° East was launched on January 12^th, 2023 on a Chinese CZ-2C booster with an additional propulsion module called SPS. But due to a series of valve faults involving the pressurization system, the SPS main engine could not be used for orbital raising. No significant loss of life was anticipated, but the orbital raising took several weeks longer than planned.

APT Satellite Company Ltd. (AP Satellite Co. or APSTAR) is a wholly owned subsidiary of APT Satellite Holdings Ltd, a listed company in the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and is a satellite operator in Asia Pacific region. APSTAR currently owns and operates five in-orbit satellites:  APSTAR-5C, APSTAR-6C, APSTAR-7, APSTAR-9A and APSTAR-6D, covering regions in Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia and Pacific island which contain approximately 75% of the World’s population. The company is also leasing capacity on Chinasat-12 (APSTAR-7B) from ChinaSat satellite operator.

APSTAR is a fast growing satellite operator headquartered in Hong Kong. APT Satellite reported a revenue of 1.24 billion Hong Kong dollars (160 million USD) in 2018, up 2.5% from the year prior.