China puts high-throughput communication satellite into service

Shijian-13, China's first high-throughput communication satellite, has been put into service after completing a key laser communication test, China National Space Administration said Tuesday.

Shijian-13, China's first high-throughput communication satellite, is put into service after completing a key laser communication test on January 23, 2018. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

The high-orbit satellite has finished a two-way high-speed laser communication test between the satellite and ground, the first of its kind in the world, the administration said in a statement.

Serving users in China, the satellite will connect communication base stations in remote areas and meet the needs of distance education, digital news gathering, and emergency communication, said Li Feng, chief satellite designer at China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

Shijian-13, launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province in 2017, has a transfer capacity of 20 Gbps and a designed orbital life of 15 years.