An Ariane 4 booster successfully launched an Intelsat communications satellite before dawn Saturday from the Arianespace Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
| STATISTICS |
| The launch was the 62nd successful Ariane 4 flight in a row. The rocket class is set to be retired in favor of the Ariane 5 launcher after another 12 flights. |
Following a one-day delay due to unfavorable high-altitude winds above the launch site, the Ariane 44L vehicle lifted off at 3:45 a.m. local time (1:45 a.m. EDT; 6:45 a.m. GMT), climbing on "a perfect trajectory" to deliver the satellite safely into geostationary transfer orbit, Arianespace said in a statement.
Intelsat Chief Executive Office Conny Kullman, whose 200-member satellite communications consortium is Arianespace's largest customer, called the deployment of Intelsat 901 "an extremely important one."
"It is the first of 10 next-generation satellites planned for deployment between 2001 and 2003, including seven IX-series spacecraft, two X-series satellites, and the all-Ku-band APR-3 satellite," he said.
Shortly after delivery, initial data indicated that Intelsat 901 -- built by Space Systems/Loral -- was "healthy and operational." It will replace the current Intersat satellite providing Ku-band spot beam coverage for Europe and C-band coverage for the Atlantic Ocean.
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