It was originally launched in February 1984 as Westar 6, but following a booster motor failure it was retrieved and returned to Earth in November of that year by Space Shuttle mission STS-51-A.

After being sold to AsiaSat and refurbished, it was relaunched in April 1990, and positioned in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 100.5° East.

It spent its operational life at 100.5° East,[1] from where it was used to provide fixed satellite services, including broadcasting, audio and data transmission, to Asia and the Pacific Ocean.

At launch it had a mass of 1,244 kg (2,743 lb),[2] and a design life of thirteen years.

[1] After launch from the Space Shuttle as part of mission STS-41-B its PAM-D booster rocket misfired, and the satellite was stranded in a useless low orbit.