China launches communications satellite

China successfully launched a satellite for radio and television broadcasts early Sunday, state media said.

The SinoSat-6 satellite was sent up from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province in southwest China, the Xinhua state news agency reported.

The satellite was to be carried on the Long March 3B carrier rocket, Xinhua had earlier reported, quoting an unnamed official.

SinoSat-6 aimed to serve as a substitute for SinoSat-3, which was launched in June 2007 but failed to deploy its solar panels and communication antennae, Xinhua said.