The launch of a Long March (LM) 3A booster from Xichang towards the end of April is regarded as critical to the future of the country's commercial-launcher aspirations, following a series of commercial failures.
The failures, climaxing with the loss of the first LM3B in February 1996, has lost China customers and the latest LM3A launch, carrying the national Chinese Dong Feng Hong 3 communications satellite, is being watched closely.
If the flight is successful, the next commercial launch will be by an LM3B model in about June, carrying the Philippines' Mabuhay communications satellite, built by Space Systems Loral.
China's first geo-stationary-orbiting weather satellite, the Feng Yun 2, is scheduled for an LM3A around the same time.
Source: Flight International