Ariane rocket launches two telecoms satellites

By Laurent Marot

KOUROU, French Guiana (Reuters) - An Ariane-5 rocket blasted off from French Guiana on Friday putting into orbit two telecommunications satellites -- both built by U.S. satellite manufacturer Orbital Sciences Corp., witnesses at the launch site said.

The rocket was launched from Europe's space base in Kourou, on the northeast coast of South America, at 7.02 p.m. (2302 GMT).

Twenty-seven minutes after launch, Intelsat 11, a 2.5 tonne (5,500 lb) satellite for U.S.-based international operator Intelsat, was released into a preliminary orbit, officials of the Arianespace company said in a video transmission.

The satellite is designed for television and data transmissions throughout Latin America.

"Intelsat 11 will be our 53rd spacecraft in our fleet covering all of Latin America and part of the southern United States," Intelsat Vice President Kenneth Lee said after the launch.

Intelsat was the first commercial satellite operator, launching Early Bird in 1965.

It was run as a semi-governmental agency until being taken private in August 2004 by Apax Partners in a $3.1 billion deal. Months later, Intelsat expanded by agreeing to buy another large satellite operator, PanAmSat.

In June, UK-based private equity firm BC Partners agreed to buy a 76 percent stake in Intelsat Ltd., for $4.6 billion cash.