A substitute satellite for the failed Sinosat-2, planned to be China’s first direct-to-home broadcasting satellite, will take at least three years to develop, according to a Sinosat spokesman quoted by Xinhua.

In the company’s first public admission that Sinosat-2 suffered a Nov. 8 technical failure, spokesman Fan Xinming said the satellite failed when the solar power panels stopped working. It is reportedly located in a quasi-GEO orbit pending further investigations.

Developed by the Chinese Research Institute of Space Technology (CRIST), the satellite was designed to operate for 15 years serving broadcast TV, digital TV, live broadcast TV and digital broadband multimedia systems on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Sinosat-3, dedicated to radio and television services, would be launched in May next year. Industry analysts predict that once individuals are allowed to install satellite dishes, up to 100 million households will do so between 2006 and 2010.