An Ariane rocket placed a Turkish telecommunications satellite into orbit late Wednesday after a one-month delay caused by a technical hitch, the firm Arianespace, which markets the European Space Agency (ESA) launcher, said.
Turksat-2A/Eurasiasat-1, carried by an Ariane-4 with four strapped-on solid-fuel boosters, was launched at 2209 GMT from Europe's Spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, it said.
The satellite, whose launch on December 8 was delayed by inspection of a heat fairing, is to provide telecommunications for the coming 15 years between western Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Far East.
The launch was twice further delayed from its scheduled date of Monday due to bad weather conditions. — (AFP, Paris)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
