China launches new commercial telecommunication satellite

China successfully sent a commercial telecommunication satellite, known as APSTAR-6D, into a planned orbit from the southwestern Satellite Launch Center on Thursday. The APSTAR-6D telecommunication satellite was launched by a Long March-3B carrier rocket, according to the center.

The satellite was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Thursday's launch was the 339th by the Long March rocket series.