SpaceX is preparing to launch Asiasat 8, a commercial telecommunications satellite into orbit at 5:25 GMT on 5 August.
A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, and space enthusiasts can watch the launch webcast live here.
The Falcon 9 rocket will carry AsiaSat 8 to a highly elliptical geosynchronous transfer orbit. The satellite will eventually make its way to a geosynchronous orbit about 35,900 km above Asia, where it will provide telecommunication services for 15 years.
The satellite was constructed by Space Systems/Loral, and carries 24 transponders operating in Ku band with a bandwidth of 54 MHz, along with a single Ka-band transponder. It is based on the LS-1300 bus.
AsiaSat-8 is the ninth satellite to be operated by China’s Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company, which was formed in 1988 and is based in Hong Kong.
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