ChinaSat 12 satellite on launch pad
(CNW Group/Com Dev International Ltd.)

...on November 28, was reliant upon a number of COM DEV-built switches on board. Thales Alenia Space built ChinaSat 12 for Beijing-based satellite operator China Satcom; it carries 24 C- and 23 Ku-band high power beams. The satellite will provide communications, satellite broadcasting, data transmission, digital broadband multimedia and media streaming services in China, East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australia, as well as the Indian Ocean and China Sea regions from its orbital position above the Indian Ocean. The satellite was launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre and has a life expectancy of 15 years.