An artistic concept of Paksat 1R, the telecommunication satellite of Pakistan. – Illustration by Muhammad Aamir Patni

BEIJING: A communications satellite launched in China for Pakistan entered its test orbit located at 37.8 degrees east longitude on Sunday, China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) has announced.

PAKSAT-1R, which was launched at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the South Western China’s Sichuan Province on Aug. 12, will soon begin an in-orbit test, the CGWIC said Tuesday.

The satellite is expected to enter its final orbit located at 38 degrees east longitude before delivery to Pakistan, the CGWIC said.

It is China’s first in-orbit delivery to Asian customers and also the first commercial satellite export to international users this year.

The contract for the PAKSAT-1R was signed in 2008 between the CGWIC and the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission of Pakistan.

PAKSAT-1R will provide a range of services, including broadband Internet, telecom and broadcasting, covering regions in Europe, South Asia, the Middle East, and eastern Africa.

China and Pakistan share a long history of space technology cooperation. Pakistan’s first low-orbit satellite, BADR-A, was launched by China in 1990, carried by the Long March 2E rocket.