China has pocketed contracts to put up 11 telecommunications satellites for General Motors Co’s Hughes Electronics Co over the next 13 years: the launch series begins later this year with the Optus-B3 satellite, a three-pronged effort involving China, Hughes and Australia; the first satellite has a capacity of 48 radio signal carriers and will replace Optus-B2, which exploded in December 1992 during its launch; the explosion, which is said to have happened when the payload shroud broke away, has never been adequately explained, but the official report cleared the Long March rocket of any blame.
