Euro rocket launch postponed
The launch of an Ariane rocket that was to lob a Canadian telecommunications satellite into orbit was postponed hours before blast off because of a problem with the European launcher.
A problem was detected last night in the Ariane-5 launcher being prepared at its base in Kourou, French Guyana. The launcher had to be returned to the assembly building, according to Arianespace, the rocket’s commercial arm.
There was no immediate information about the “anomaly” in the launcher, and no new launch date was set.
The rocket was to put into geostationary orbit the Anik F2 telecommunications satellite, at nearly six tons the largest such satellite in the world. It is own by Telesat.
It would have been Ariane’s second launch of the year. Five are planned.
