Ariane rocket launches satellites

KOUROU, French Guiana (Reuters) - An Ariane-5 rocket blasted off from French Guiana on Friday putting into orbit telecommunications satellites for Brazil and Vietnam, a space official said.

The rocket was launched from Europe's space base in Kourou, on the northeast coast of South America, at 7:17 p.m. (2217 GMT). Twenty-six minutes after launch, the rocket released into a preliminary orbit Star One C2, a telecommunications satellite for Brazil's telecoms operator Embratel.

Five minutes later, the rocket released into space VINASAT-1, Vietnam's first telecommunications satellite.

The satellite is designed to improve Vietnam's communications infrastructure allowing all of Vietnam's rural communities to be equipped with telephones and televisions.

Friday's mission was the 38th Ariane-5 rocket launched by Europe's Arianespace consortium.

(Reporting by Laurent Marot in Kourou, French Guiana and Alexander Miles