China launches first mobile telecommunications satellite
07 August, Beijing
China has launched its first mobile telecommunications satellite. The state run Xinhua news agency says, the Tiantong-01 satellite will establish a mobile network serving China, the Middle East, Africa and other areas.
It was sent into space after midnight local time in Beijing (16:00 GMT) today.
The ground service will be operated by China Telecom. The country is also preparing for the next round of its manned space mission.