APSTAR VI, made by the French-based Alcatel Space for APT Satellite Co Ltd in Hong Kong, will become China's first foreign-made satellite employing technology to prevent malicious interruptions, corporate officials said at an agreement signing ceremony last night.

"The satellite will be reinforced by state of the art technology to make acts of sabotage technically impossible," said Liu Zhixiong, vice-president of the China Great Wall Industry Corp, China's sole launch provider.

Under the agreement struck with APT (HK), the Great Wall firm will place APSTAR VI into orbit atop its Long March-3B launch vehicle at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the fourth quarter of 2004, Liu said.

With an expected mission life of 13 years, the satellite has 38 C-band and 12 Ku-band transponders which will provide broadcasting and telecommunications services for regions including China, Southeast Asia, Australia and Hawaii of the United States, he said.

The manufacturer, Alcatel Space -- a global space industry leader -- was not available to comment on the launch last night.

The technical reinforcement is a countermeasure following the latest hijacking episode in which Falun Gong cult followers, based in Taiwan, illegally interrupted the normal transmissions of SINOSAT-1 owned by Sino Satellite Communications Corp (SINOSAT) last month, according to Liu and other officials.

Min Changning, chief engineer of SINOSAT, a Beijing-based satellite operator, said his company had considered applying high-technology to a new, domestically manufactured satellite to prevent further airwaves hijackings.

The satellite is also due to be launched in 2004, Min said in an earlier interview with China Daily.

He Dongfeng, vice-president of APT (HK), said his company chose the Long March rocket as the carrier vehicle because of its reliability and quality service.

Following its first success in 1990, China has carried out 22 commercial launches for overseas customers, placing 27 foreign-manufactured satellites in space, said Zhang Xinxia, president of the Great Wall company.

The Long March 3B -- the most powerful rocket developed in China -- has reported four straight successful launches after its failed first attempt in February 1996, he said.

The Long March rockets are now capable of carrying 5.1 tons of payloads into geo-stationary transfer orbit and 9.2 tons of payloads into low earth orbit, Zhang said.

"This means that China is well able to send all kinds of satellites into space," he said.

The president said launching satellites solely made in Europe has opened new market for China's commercial launch provider.

(China Daily October 24, 2002)