Space operator Arianespace said Wednesday that the scrubbed launch of an Ariane rocket to place a major Spanish military satellite in orbit was being tentatively rescheduled for Friday. An Ariane 5 ECA, a heavy-duty version of the European Space Agency (ESA) Ariane 5 series, was to have blasted off late Tuesday from Kourou, French Guiana.
The countdown was halted because of a hitch with the launch pad. The new launch date and time will be confirmed on Thursday, Arianespace said in a press release.
The payload comprises the 3.7-tonne Spainsat, the first Spanish satellite dedicated to secure government communications, and the 4.1-tonne Hot Bird 7A, a TV and radio relay satellite for the European consortium Eutelsat.
Source: Agence France-Presse
