CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Local television stations broadcast via DIRECTV satellites soon will become increasingly available nationwide thanks to the successful launch of an Ariane 4 rocket Monday night from South America.

The digital quality service already is available in limited markets, but with the added channel capacity provided by the DIRECTV-4S satellite orbited by Arianespace, company officials say they are ready to aggressively market the local stations to new customers across the country.

"I feel like we've given birth here today. It was very exciting," Philip Goswitz, spacecraft mission director for DIRECTV, Inc., said following the successful satellite delivery mission staged from the Guiana Space Center.

Liftoff from the spaceport near Kourou came right on time at 7:35 p.m. EST (0035 GMT Nov. 27).

Live coverage of the launch by Arianespace TV showed spectacular views of the three-stage Ariane 4 rocket streaking across the night sky, the exhaust plumes from its main engines, liquid-fueled and solid-fueled strap-on motors clearly visible.

Spacecraft separation from the booster's third stage came as expected about 21 minutes later.

In the meantime, work continues to prepare for the resumption of Ariane 5 launches following this year's failure of an Ariane 5 second stage.

Luton reported that Arianespace engineers have been able to simulate the engine start up sequence at high altitude, that corrections to the sequence are being tested and that the next Ariane 5 launch should be expected "during the first weeks of 2002."