Sino Satellite Communications


Sino Satellite Communications Co., Ltd. known also as SinoSat is a Chinese company.
It provided satellite communications through a pair of communications satellites in geostationary orbit. Their two satellites were, SinoSat 1 and SinoSat 3. A third satellite, SinoSat 2, failed shortly after launch.

History

Sino Satellite Communications was formed in 1994. It was a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. In 2007, a new joint venture was formed with another state-owned company China Satellite Communications, which SinoSat 1 and other assets was injected to the joint venture as share capital. However, in 2009 China Satellite Communications was assigned as a subsidiary of CASC by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council. Since then, Sino Satellite Communications became a subsidiary of China Satellite Communications, with all the satellites were under the brand ChinaSat instead.
In 2016 Sino Satellite Communications sold a 15% stake of a company to Shenglu Telecommunication.

Satellites

SinoSat 1

Sinosat-1 was built by Aérospatiale using a Spacebus 3000 satellite bus. It was launched by a Long March 3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre at 09:20 GMT on 18 July 1998. It was placed into a geostationary orbit, and is currently operating in a slot at 110.5° East of the Greenwich Meridian. It was redesignated Chinasat 5B.

SinoSat 1C

SinoSat 1C was the brand name of Apstar 2R/Telstar 10 in China.

SinoSat 1D

SinoSat 1C was the brand name of Telstar 18 in China.

SinoSat 2

Sinosat-2 was based on the DFH-4 bus. It was launched at 16:20 GMT on 28 October 2006, also using a Long March 3B. After launch, its solar panels and communications antenna failed to deploy, making the satellite unusable.

SinoSat 3

Sinosat-3 is a DFH-3 satellite, which was launched at 16:08 GMT on 31 May 2007. A Long March 3A rocket was used to place it into geosynchronous transfer orbit, making the 100th flight of a Long March rocket. It operates in geostationary orbit at 125° East. It was redesignated ChinaSat 5C.

SinoSat 5

Launched in 2011. Renamed to ChinaSat 10

SinoSat 6

Launched in 2010 by a Long March 3B rocket. Renamed to ChinaSat 6A.

Shareholders

According to the company website, Sino Satellite Communications was owned by several state-owned companies, namely China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, CITIC Group and China Financial Computerization Corporation. However,, CASC owned 99.26% stake directly and indirectly.