重型火箭在2004年进行首次发射，它可以将24吨重的负载发送到低地球轨道，也能将用于通讯卫星的11吨重的载荷送入地球同步轨道。

The rocket made its first flight in 2004 and is capable of launching payloads of up to 24 tons into low-Earth orbit and 11 tons toward the geosynchronous orbits used by communications satellites.

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过去，商业太空运输几乎专指用一次性运载火箭将通信卫星送入地球同步轨道。

It used to be that commercial space transportation was almost exclusively about launching communication satellites into geosynchronous orbit using expendable launch vehicles.

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然而，目前为止，WGS覆盖仅限于太平洋地区，其首颗卫星位于玻利尼西亚上空22500米的地球同步轨道。

For now, however, WGS coverage is limited to the Pacific region where the first satellite is stationed in geosynchronous orbit 22, 500 miles over Polynesia.

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