Article Posted on : - Sep 20, 2011

The Long March 3B carrier rocket. Photo: Wikipedia.

BEIJING (BNS): China has signed a contract to build and launch a communications satellite for Belarus, a news report said.

According to the contract signed in Minsk on Sunday, the satellite will use the Dongfanghong-4 satellite platform and has a designed lifespan of 15 years.

The satellite will be launched atop a Long March 3-B rocket carrier at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan province two years and a half after the contract takes effect, a China Daily report said.

The communications satellite - the first for Belarus - will be used to improve radio, television and telecommunications service, distance learning and Internet access.

China will also build a ground station in Minsk for Belarus to monitor and control the satellite, and provide related training to Belarusian technicians, it said.