BEIJING -- Alcomsat-1, Algeria's first communication satellite, was successfully positioned at 24.8 degrees west longitude in geostationary orbit on Monday.

The positioning took place after eight hours of controlled flight conducted by a Chinese control center, paving the way for the satellite's further operation.

Alcomsat-1 is the first cooperative project in aerospace industry between China and Algeria. The Algerian national space agency believes that the cooperation prospects between the countries in the space industry are promising.

Launched by a Chinese Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan on Dec 11, the satellite is also China's first high-throughput international commercial satellite.

With a designed life of 15 years, as well as 33 satellite transponders and seven sets of antennas, it will be used by Algeria for broadcast and television, emergency communication, distance education, e-governance, enterprise communication, broadband access and satellite-based navigation.