China launches ChinaSat-4A communications satellite

China launched a new communications satellite towards the geostationary belt Thursday, but revealed very little information about the spacecraft.

A Long March 7A lifted off from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan island at 8:25 a.m. Eastern (1225 UTC) Aug. 22, rising into night skies above the coastal spaceport. According to Report, state media Xinhua announced launch success around 45 minutes after liftoff.

“The satellite successfully entered the predetermined orbit and the launch mission was a complete success,” the terse news release stated.

While the launch was expected, due to images of the rocket at Wenchang posted on Chinese social media and maritime navigation warnings, the payload was unknown to the outside until launch success was announced.

Xinhua stated that the ChinaSat 4A satellite can “provide users with voice, data, radio and television transmission services.” The intended users were not specified.

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the country’s state-owned main space contractor, revealed shortly after that ChinaSat-4A was developed by its China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). No other details were published.