Apstar 6D

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亚太6D卫星

CommunicationsGEOCOSPAR 2020-045ALaunched 7/9/2020

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Mission & Launch

Launch Mission: Apstar 6D Mission
Launch Vehicle: Long March 3B G2
Launch Date: 7/9/2020

Orbit & Mass

Orbit Class: GEO
Altitude: 35,786.5 km
Inclination: 0.03 deg
Dry Mass: 2,500 kg
Total Mass: 5,000 kg

Payload Classification

Organizations

Operator: Asia Pacific Satellite
Manufacturer: China Academy of Space Technology (CAST)

Constellation

Name: Apstar GEO fleet
Active Satellites: 5

Registry

COSPAR ID: 2020-045A
UN Registration: ST/SG/SER.E/1033

Mentions

All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.

In January 2025, Chinese medical teams used the Apstar-6D satellite to conduct remote robotic surgeries from 3,000 kilometers away.

CapabilityValue 4.0Dec 24, 2025DoD Report: China’s ISR Fleet Swells to 510+ Satellites, ‘Informatized’ Warfare Accelerates

Apstar-6D has a mass of 5,500 kg, 90 Ku-band user beams, and eight Ka-band beams to link to gateway stations.

Capability

Apstar-6D arrived at 134 degrees East longitude in geostationary orbit on 2020-10-06.

PlanCapabilityValue 3.5Nov 10, 2020APT Satellite orders new small HTS satellite from China’s CGWIC

Apstar-6D was ordered by APT Mobile Satcom Ltd., a company formed in 2016 by APT Satellite of Hong Kong together with mainland Chinese institutions including Beijing Shipping, a subsidiary of China Transport Telecommunication Information Center.

RelationshipsValue 4.0Nov 10, 2020APT Satellite orders new small HTS satellite from China’s CGWIC

Apstar-6D is based on the DFH-4E platform, an enhanced version of the Dongfanghong-4 platform that includes upgraded components to lighten the satellite and allow more room for communications payloads.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Nov 10, 2020APT Satellite orders new small HTS satellite from China’s CGWIC

China launched the APSTAR-6D communications satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit on Thursday prior to the Kuaizhou-11 failure.

PlanValue 4.0Jul 10, 2020First launch of Chinese Kuaizhou-11 rocket ends in failure

Apstar-6D launched on 2020-07-09 on a Long March 3B rocket.

PlanValue 4.0Jul 9, 2020Apstar-6D launches on Long March 3B rocket

Apstar-6D was ordered in 2016 by APT Mobile SatCom Limited.

RelationshipsValue 4.0Jul 9, 2020Apstar-6D launches on Long March 3B rocket

Apstar-6D launched at 8:11 a.m. Eastern from China’s Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan, China.

PlanValue 4.0Jul 9, 2020Apstar-6D launches on Long March 3B rocket

Apstar-6D is built on China’s enhanced Dongfanghong-4 platform, the DFH-4E.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Jul 9, 2020Apstar-6D launches on Long March 3B rocket

The Xichang Satellite Launch Center is preparing to launch the Apstar-6D communications satellite for APT Satellite on a Long March 3B rocket around 2020-07-10.

PlanGeneralValue 4.0Jul 5, 2020China launches Shiyan-6 and Gaofen remote sensing satellites with two launches in three days

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation plans launches of the Apstar-6D communications satellite based on a new DFH-4E bus in 2020.

PlanCapabilityValue 4.0Jan 3, 2020China’s space contractor plans more than 40 launches in 2020

Apstar-6D from APT Mobile Satcom is the first satellite in Panasonic Avionics’ XTS service and is expected to launch in 2020.

PlanCapabilityValue 4.0Dec 11, 2019Maxar finishes $291M property sale • Panasonic Avionics signs Eutelsat capacity contract

Apstar-6D was ordered in 2016 as the first in a series of three satellites intended to provide global services through a new company called APT Mobile.

PlanGeneralValue 3.7Aug 16, 2019APT Satellite nets $21 million from Apstar-6 insurance claim, next satellite delayed

Panasonic Avionics has customized Ku-band payloads on satellites operated by Intelsat, SES, and Eutelsat and has another Ku-band payload under construction on Apsatcom’s Apstar-6D satellite that is scheduled to launch next year.

CapabilityPlanRelationshipsValue 4.0Nov 13, 2018Inmarsat preps new maritime product to fend off KVH competition

Apstar-6D is a Ku-band high-throughput satellite built by China Great Wall Industry Corp. and is slated to launch on a Chinese Long March 3B rocket.

CapabilityPlanValue 4.5Jun 28, 2018ABS puts 15 unused orbital slots on the market

Panasonic Avionics co-designed the Apstar-6D satellite that APT Mobile Satcom Limited ordered from China Great Wall Industry Corp. and will lease some of its capacity for mobile internet service over China and the surrounding region.

RelationshipsCapabilityPlanValue 4.5May 15, 2018Global Eagle to collaborate on Telesat LEO constellation