# OPTUS B3
**Wikidata**: [Q16061361](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16061361)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/optus-b3

## Summary
OPTUS B3 is a communications satellite (an artificial satellite designed for telecommunications) that was launched into orbit on 1994-08-27. It was delivered to space by a Long March 2E rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center and is catalogued under COSPAR ID 1994-055A and spacecraft catalog number 23227.

## Key Facts
- Instance: OPTUS B3 is a communications satellite (artificial satellite designed for telecommunications).  
- COSPAR ID: 1994-055A.  
- Spacecraft catalog number (SCN): 23227.  
- Launch date: 1994-08-27.  
- Launch vehicle: Long March 2E (Chinese orbital carrier rocket).  
- Launch site / start point: Xichang Satellite Launch Center.  
- Significant recorded event: rocket launch at Xichang Satellite Launch Center on 1994-08-27.  
- External identifiers: Google Knowledge Graph ID /g/1z0sphj41 and Wolfram Language entity code Entity["Satellite", "23227"].  
- Wikipedia presence: page available in Portuguese (sitelink_count: 1).

## FAQs
### Q: What is OPTUS B3?
A: OPTUS B3 is a communications satellite, an artificial satellite intended for telecommunications, catalogued as COSPAR 1994-055A and SCN 23227.

### Q: When and how was OPTUS B3 launched?
A: OPTUS B3 was launched on 1994-08-27 by a Long March 2E rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

### Q: How can I identify OPTUS B3 in satellite catalogs?
A: OPTUS B3 is identified by COSPAR ID 1994-055A and spacecraft catalog number 23227; it also appears in external databases such as Google Knowledge Graph (/g/1z0sphj41) and Wolfram Language (Entity["Satellite", "23227"]).

## Why It Matters
OPTUS B3 matters as part of the global class of communications satellites—artificial satellites engineered to support telecommunications from orbit. Communications satellites enable long-distance data, voice, and broadcast services by relaying signals between ground stations and users; OPTUS B3's classification places it within that infrastructure role. Its launch on 1994-08-27 by a Long March 2E from Xichang situates the satellite within the mid-1990s era of orbital deployments and the use of Chinese launch vehicles for placing telecommunications payloads into orbit. The satellite’s catalog identifiers (COSPAR 1994-055A and SCN 23227) and presence in data systems such as Google Knowledge Graph and Wolfram Language make it discoverable for tracking, historical records, and technical reference. Even without additional operational specifics in the available source material, OPTUS B3 is a documented element of the spaceborne communications fleet and contributes to the historical record of satellite launches and orbital assets.

## Notable For
- Being a communications satellite explicitly catalogued with COSPAR ID 1994-055A.  
- Launch on 1994-08-27 by a Long March 2E rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.  
- Spacecraft catalog number 23227, enabling tracking and identification in space object registries.  
- Presence in external knowledge systems (Google Knowledge Graph and Wolfram Language).  
- Limited Wikipedia language coverage in the provided data (Portuguese only).

## Body
### Identification
- Name: OPTUS B3.  
- COSPAR ID: 1994-055A.  
- Spacecraft catalog number (SCN): 23227.  
- External database identifiers: Google Knowledge Graph ID /g/1z0sphj41; Wolfram Language Entity["Satellite", "23227"].

### Classification
- Instance of: communications satellite.  
- Communications satellite class definition (from related data): an artificial satellite designed for telecommunications.

### Launch information
- Launch date: 1994-08-27.  
- Launch vehicle: Long March 2E (Chinese orbital carrier rocket).  
- Launch site / start point: Xichang Satellite Launch Center.  
- Significant event recorded: rocket launch at Xichang Satellite Launch Center on 1994-08-27 (ties launch vehicle, site, and date).

### Documentation and presence
- Wikipedia sitelink count (provided): 1 (Portuguese language).  
- Referenced in catalog and knowledge systems via provided identifiers.  

### References (as provided in source material)
- SCN reference: linked to dataset Q6272367.  
- COSPAR and instance reference: linked to Q11921.  
- Launch, start point, launch vehicle, and significant event references: linked to Q6272367.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report