The Ariane-5 rocket, with Vietnam's VINASAT-1 and Brazil's Star One C2 satellites attached, takes off at a spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana April 18, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    PARIS, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- An Ariane rocket was successfully launched Saturday from the Kourou space center in French Guiana, sending two communication satellites into orbit.

    Europe's Arianespace broadcast live the launch. The Ariane 5-ECA rocket was blast off from Kourou center at 22:35 GMT.

    The rocket carried two Eutelsat communication satellites, Hot Bird 9 and W2M, which separated from the rocket soon after it reached the outer space. The satellites remain in temporary orbit before entering the geosynchronous orbit a few days later.

    Hot bird 9, built by EADS-Astrium, will beam television programs to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, while W2M, built by EADS-Astrium and Indian space agency Isro, will feed central and eastern Europe as well as Indian Ocean islands.

    Eutelsat said they planned to launch seven satellites from now till the end of 2010, increasing the number of data relay apparatus from the current 501 to 664.

    This is the sixth and last launch by Arianespace this year. Thelaunch, originally scheduled for Dec. 10, was postponed due to a local protest. Demonstrators prevented the staff from getting intothe launching field in protest of high fuel prices.