Ariane rocket launches 'largest commercial satellite'

CAYENNE, French Guiana, July 1 (Reuters) -- An Ariane rocket launched the "world's largest commercial communications satellite" from French Guiana on Wednesday, officials of the Arianespace rocket launch company said.

The rocket blasted off from the European Space Agency's (ESA) launch centre in Kourou, French Guiana on the northeast coast of South America at 2.52 p.m. (1752 GMT).

Twenty-six minutes after lift-off, the rocket released into orbit the TerreStar-1 satellite designed to provide hybrid telecommunications to satellite and cellular handsets about the same size as a conventional smartphone.

TerreStar weighed 6.9 tonnes (15,200 lb) at lift-off and was built by U.S. satellite manufacturer Loral Space & Communications Inc (LORL.O).

It was the first satellite launched for Virginia-based telecoms provider TerreStar Corp TTSR.O. (Reporting by Laurent Marot in Cayenne, French Guiana and Alexander Miles; editing by Tim Pearce)