Manila launches satellite

Manila launches satellite

MANILA (AFP): The Philippines' first communications satellite
will be launched on Monday by its Chinese carrier rocket in
Xichang, China, a telecommunications consortium said here
yesterday.

Cesar Reyes, president of the Mabuhay Philippines Satellite
Corp. the consortium which owns the Agila II (Eagle II)
satellite, said he was informed of the launch date of August 18
by Beijing's aerospace ministry.

The Philippine satellite will blast off aboard a Long March 3B
(LM3B) rocket at 1:48 a.m. (0548 GMT) in Xichang, Sichuan
province.

The launch of the US$243 million satellite has been delayed
several times by technical problems, with all the delays
connected to the LM3B.

Mabuhay is 51 percent-controlled by Philippine Long Distance
Telephone Co., the country's main telecommunications carrier.

Its partners include five Filipino firms, China Everbright
Group Ltd. of China and PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara of
Indonesia.