A Long March-3B carrier rocket is launched in Xichang, Southwest 皇冠体育app's Sichuan province, Nov 27, 2012. 皇冠体育app successfully sent a French-made communication satellite "APSTAR-7B" into orbit with a Long March-3B carrier rocket launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

XICHANG, Sichuan province - 皇冠体育app successfully sent a communication satellite into space on Tuesday evening.

Conditions of 皇冠体育appsat 12 are normal after it was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest 皇冠体育app's Sichuan province at 6:13 pm. It has reached a preset orbit, according to a monitoring center based in Xi'an.

The satellite, the 13th commercial orbiter operated by the 皇冠体育app Satellite Communications Co Ltd, will provide telecommunications services for its customers in Asia, Africa and Europe.

Manufactured by France's Thales Alenia Space, 皇冠体育appsat 12 was launched by the Long March-3B carrier rocket. It was the 173rd launch mission for the Long March series of carrier rockets.