[October 29, 2009] Rocket launches in French Guiana with 2 satellites Tweet (Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) KOUROU, French Guiana_Arianespace launched a rocket Thursday carrying two satellites that will provide direct TV broadcasts to continents including Europe, Asia and Africa. The Ariane 5 released the satellites into orbit about half an hour after taking off from a launch center in French Guiana, Arianespace, the commercial arm of the 13-country European Space Agency, said in a news release. The satellites weighed a total of nearly 20,000 pounds (9,000 kilograms) and are expected to provide service for at least 15 years. The NSS-12 will provide telecommunications and direct-to-home TV broadcast services in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the Middle East. It is operated by SES WORLD SKIES and was built by Space Systems/Loral. The THOR 6 will provide similar services to the Nordic region and to Central and Eastern Europe. It was built by Thales Alenia Space and is operated by Telenor Satellite Broadcasting AS, a subsidiary of Norwegian mobile operator Telenor. This year's final Ariane 5 flight is planned for early December. It has already completed six flights this year and placed more than 92,000 pounds (42,000 kilograms) into orbit. (c) 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]