| China on early Monday morning launched a communications satellite for Nigeria, the first of its kind in Africa and the first time a foreign buyer has purchased a Chinese satellite and its launching service. The carrier rocket, Long March 3-B, blasted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 0:01 Monday and the northwest Xi'an Satellite Control Center said the satellite had entered orbit accurately. The Nigerian Communication Satellite, or NIGCOMSAT-1, is a super hybrid geo-stationary satellite designed to operate in Africa, parts of the Middle East and southern Europe. (Xinhua) |
