根据中国长城工业集团有限公司与香港亚太通信卫星有限公司于2009年11月8日签署的发射服务合同，中国航天科技集团公司所属的中国长城工业集团有限公司和中国运载火箭技术研究院，将与中国卫星发射测控系统部共同合作，于2012年3月使用长征三号乙运载火箭在中国西昌卫星发射中心，将法国泰雷兹阿莱尼亚宇航公司制造的亚太7号通信卫星送入远地点高度50,281公里、近地点高度200公里、轨道倾角27.4度的地球同步转移轨道。

本次发射是长征系列运载火箭的第159次发射，长征三号甲系列火箭的第50次发射。是长征火箭第6次为香港亚太通信卫星有限公司提供发射服务。

According to the APSTAR-7 Launch Services Contract signed by and between China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) and APT Satellite Company Limited (APT) on November 8, 2009, CGWIC and China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), subsidiaries of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), and China Satellite Launch and Tracking Control General (CLTC), will launch the APSTAR-7 telecommunications satellite manufactured by Thales Alenia Space France (TASF) from Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC) into the Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) with an apogee of 50,281 km, a perigee of 200 km and an inclination of 27.4 degrees by using a Long March 3B (LM-3B) Launch vehicle.

The APSTAR-7 launch mission is the 159^th flight of the Long March family and the 50^th flight of the LM-3A series launch vehicles. It is the six^th time that Long March provides launch services to APT.