Túpac_Katari_1
Túpac Katari 1
Telecommunication satellite
Túpac Katari 1 or TKSat-1 is a telecommunications satellite that the government of Bolivia outsourced to People's Republic of China (PRC) to serve telecommunications in Bolivia, such as mobile, television and Internet use.[1]
It was launched into orbit on 20 December 2013 from the Satellite Launch Center in Xichang, China,[2] with a trial period of a little over three months, and commercial operation starting in March 2014.[3]
It was built on behalf of the Bolivian Space Agency. The China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), was responsible for the construction (using French, German and USA technology), launch and orbit of the satellite.[4][5]
The satellite is named after 18th century Bolivian independence activist Túpac Katari.[6]