It was launched into orbit on 20 December 2013 from the Satellite Launch Center in Xichang, China,[2] with a trial period of a little over three months, and commercial operation starting in March 2014.[3]
The satellite is geostationary and parked at 87.2° W, at a distance of 36,000 kilometers from equator;[7] two-way voice communications are subject to latency.
The estimated useful life is 15 years;[8] having been launched in 2013, it should be deactivated in 2028, or −3 years and 358 days from now.
Cost and revenue
The satellite had a cost of around $300 million, of which $251 million was a loan from the China Development Bank (CDB) to the government of Bolivia, and the rest was paid by the government of Bolivia.[9]
From launch to August 2017, the satellite generated revenue of $60 million. The Bolivian Space Agency said the satellite was not a business, but instead its purpose was to increase access to communications. Running expenses were not disclosed.[10]
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).
