The Chinese navigation satellite, Beidou 2-G6 (Compass G6), was launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) on its way to its Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) position by a Long March 3C rocket flying out of the Xichang launch site. The satellite later successfully circularised its orbit into its GEO position. The launch took place at 1533GMT on 25 October 2012. The 3,800kg satellite, which uses a DFH 3B platform, is part of a mixed orbit constellation of navigation satellites. The initial transfer orbit’s perigee was very low at 158km (the initial transfer orbit observed by 34620km x 158km at 20.51 degrees inclination).
China successfully launches Beidou 2-G6 (Compass G6) navigation satellite with a low perigee transfer (Corrected)
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