An Ariane-5 rocket launcher takes off Friday Oct.13, 2006 at the Kourou space center, French Guiana. Europe's Ariane-5 heavy rocket, with a lift capacity of 10 tons, lifted off bearing three artificial satellites into earth orbit from the space center. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    PARIS, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The launch of Europe's Ariane-5 rocket, carrying British and Indian satellites, was postponed for one day due to technical problems, Ariane space said Saturday.

    Arianespace, the commercial branch of the 13-country European Space Agency, said the rocket experienced problems with water coolant flow when it began to be fueled with liquid oxygen and hydrogen hours before the scheduled blastoff.

    The Ariane-5 rocket was scheduled to carry the British Defense Ministry's Skynet 5A satellite and India's Insat 4B communications satellite into orbit at 22:25 GMT Saturday from the Kourou launch pad in French Guiana.

    The launch was the first mission for an Ariane-5 this year and the 31st for the rocket.