Ariane rocket launch postponed; Direct TV 's Projects affected
Ariane rocket launch postponed; Direct TV 's Projects affected
PARIS (AFX) - The launch this month of a heavy version of the European rocket Ariane has been postponed after one of the two satellites that make up its payload developed 'a technical problem,' the launch operator Arianespace said.
The launch was due to have taken place on the night of June 24-25 from Europe's space
base in Kourou, French Guiana.
The Ariane-5 ECA was due to have taken up two satellites, Spaceway-2, for the US pay TV operator Direct TV, and Telkom-2, for the Indonesian telecommunications firm Telkom Indonesia.
The Arianespace statement did not identify the problem or say which satellite had it, nor did it give a new date for the launch.
The next Ariane flight is now set for the night of July 7-8 using a standard Ariane-5 to launch IPStar, a satellite for Thailands Shinsat telecommunications operator, Arianespace said.
Among the 41 shareholders of Arianespace, EADS has a 27 pct stake in the company, the French space agency CNES holds 32.45 pct, and Finmeccancia holds 7.2 pct.
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