A People’s Republic of China communications and broadcast satellite is failing less than a month into orbit because of malfunctioning solar panels, according to Internet reports.

In a Nov. 20 article, the South Africa-based Independent Online cited the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy (ICHRD) for a report that the satellite’s main solar panel failed to open. The Sinosat-2 satellite, launched on October 29, is designed to serve live television signals and digital broadband multimedia systems in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Technicians reportedly discovered the satellite’s main solar panel had failed to unfold as planned on Nov. 7, disabling some antennae from receiving ground instructions. The report quoted unnamed sources as saying Chinese experts were working to save the satellite, "but the chance of success is slim."

The Chinese-designed and developed satellite was planned for a 15-year mission life and expected to provide TV and radio transmissions, digital films, direct TV and digital broadband in China’s rapidly developing TV market. ICHRD estimated that China could lose 100-billion yuan ($12.7 billion) in potential revenues from the international market throughout the next five years if the satellite, costing 2-billion yuan ($254 million), has failed.