An Ariane 5 rocket blasted off here on Friday and put into orbit an Australian and US television satellites, Arianespace said. The rocket, the 34rd launch of an Ariane 5 and the fourth this year, lifted off at 2202 GMT and successfully placed both satellites into geostationary transfer orbit, the company said.
Intelsat 11, built by Orbital Sciences Corp, will provide television and data transmission services over Latin America. Optus D2, also built by Orbital Sciences Corp, will provide direct television, Internet, telephone and data services over Australia and New Zealand.
The mission also allowed Arianespace to test the EPS Storable Propellant upper stage section, which will also be used in the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), a supply ship to be launched by the Ariane 5 for the first time next year that is Europe's contribution to the International Space Station.
"It was decided to repeat the ignition of EPS stage as we will have to do that for the ATV," Arianespace Chairman and CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall told AFP. Complete data to evaluate whether the test was successful will only be available in about two weeks, he added.