TOKYO —

Japan’s Space Communications Corp. said Friday that its new communications satellite, dubbed Superbird-7, has been launched successfully.

The satellite, manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric Corp., was launched on the Ariane 5 rocket of France’s Arianespace SA from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana at 5:44 a.m. Friday Japan time (8:44 p.m. Thursday GMT), according to Space Communications, a unit of satellite broadcaster Sky Perfect JSAT Holdings Inc.

The Superbird-7 satellite is the first Japanese-made communications satellite to be used by domestic broadcasters and telecommunications carriers.

It will succeed the Superbird-C satellite now being used by Space Communications for its broadcasting services.

The new satellite will stay at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers, 144 degrees east longitude in a geostationary orbit for 15-year operations.

JCN

4 Comments

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  rajakumar at 06:06 PM JST - 16th August

  Way to go Superbird 7 from japan's Mitsubishi.

  Have a good 15 years orbit.

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  USNinJapan2 at 08:17 PM JST - 16th August

  Superbird? Isn't that a sandwich at Denny's?...

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  hoserfella at 11:46 PM JST - 16th August

  does this mean Ill be able to watch hockey games that are less than 3 weeks old?

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  Okinawamike at 12:43 PM JST - 19th August

  Does this mean I can watch Sky Perfect when it rains?

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