Arianespace successfully launched two British and Indian satellites into orbit from French Guiana, after a one-day delay due to a technical glitch, an Associated Press report said.
The Associated Press report said Ariane-5 ECA rocket shuttled the British Defense Ministry's Skynet 5A satellite and India 's Insat 4B civil communications satellite into orbit on Sunday, said Jean-Yves Le Gall, chief executive officer of Arianespace, the commercial arm of the 13-country European Space Agency.
The launch was rescheduled from Saturday because technicians experienced problems with the flow of coolant, according to Arianespace, the report said.
The launch went smoothly, with the rocket deploying Skynet 5A at 26 minutes into the mission, followed four minutes later by INSAT 4B, Arianespace said in a statement.
It was the first launch of the year for Arianespace and its 175th overall since the European space consortium was created in 1980.
The Insat 4B, the 13th Indian Space Research Organization satellite launched by Arianespace, will provide television and telecommunications services primarily to the Indian subcontinent.
The Skynet 5A, which private company Paradigm Secure Communications will operate for the defense ministry, will offer secure communications services for the British armed forces, NATO and other countries.