Ariane-5 Rocket Lifts Two Satellites into Orbit

Ariane-5 rocket lifts two satellites into orbit

PARIS, March 12 (Xinhua) — An Ariane 5 ECA rocket lifted two telecommunications satellites into orbit late Saturday from Kourou in French Guiana, Arianespace said in Paris.

The powerful rocket lifted off from Kourou spaceport at 7:32 p.m. local time (2232 GMT), carrying two satellites: a 3.7-ton Spainsat and a 4.1-ton Hot Bird 7A, a TV and radio relay satellite for the European consortium Eutelsat.

The Hot Bird 7A satellite has the capacity of transmitting 850 television channels and 550 radio channels, covering a population of 110 million from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

The Spainsat is the first Spanish military satellite dedicated to secure government communication.

The launch, which was initially scheduled for Feb. 21, was delayed three times for technical problems.