On October 16, 2015 at 16:16 UTC (on October 16 at 00:16 Beijing time), the Chang Zheng-3B/E (Long March-3B/E) rocket-carrier was launched from Xichang Cosmodrome, Sichuan province, southwestern China. The rocket orbited the “APStar-9” telecommunication satellite. Owned and operated by APT Satellite in Hong Kong, the Apstar 9 communications platform is beginning a 15-year mission to replace the aging Apstar 9A satellite in orbit since 1998.