Apstar 2
Long March 2E with APstar 2 onboard lifting off its pad | Long March 2E with APstar 2 onboard seconds before the explosion | |
| Spacecraft properties | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Boeing Hughes Space and Communications Company |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | January 26, 1995 |
| Rocket | Chang Zheng 2E |
| Launch site | Xichang LA-2 |
| Contractor | APT Satellite Holdings |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Geostationary |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 26 C band 8 Ku band |
| TWTA power | 52W (C band) 50-120W (Ku band) |
APstar 2 (Asia-Pacific Star 2) was a communications satellite based on the Hughes HS-601 spacecraft design, built by Hughes Space and Communications Company for APT Satellite Holdings, a Hong Kong–based company. The satellite was intended to provide video, radio, data, and telephone services to about 2/3 of the world's population. It was launched on January 26, 1995, by a Long March 2E launch vehicle from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China, but was destroyed 51 seconds after liftoff when the rocket exploded. Falling debris from the rocket killed at least six villagers on the ground and injured 23.
The Hughes Failure Investigation Team found that excess vibration had caused a rocket fairing to fail due to a structural deficiency. However, the Chinese blamed the rocket-satellite interface for the failure. The two sides agreed that the fairing and the satellite interface would both be improved. The Long March 2E rocket would be retired at the end of 1995.