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French military satellite shot into space
Dec 21st
The Arianne 5 rocket lifts off into space with the French observation satellite Helios 2B by Arianespace center from Kourou launch site in French Guiana, Southern America, December 18, 2009. Credit: AFP Photo
The delayed French observation satellite Helios 2B was finally launched atop Arianne 5 rocket into space on Friday by Arianespace center from Kourou launch site in French Guiana, Southern America.
The Ariane 5 rocket carrying the military satellite lifted off at 1626 GMT Friday. The mission, initially scheduled to be launched on Dec. 9, has been postponed two times. The latest on Thursday halted the countdown during the final minutes as an incoherence of records emerged.
The 4.2-ton Helios 2B satellite, heading into sun-synchronous polar orbit, will enable French Defense Ministry to access to better images and identification on sites, areas of military interest during its around the clock service.
A French official at the launch site said that the satellite would be “eyes of our defense system” and reinforce France’s capability to develop new intelligent system in the future.
France Launches New Spy Satellite
Dec 19th
CAYENNE, French Guiana (Reuters) – A European Ariane rocket launched a French spy satellite on Friday from French Guiana, space officials said.
The Ariane-5 rocket blasted off at 1.26 p.m. (4:26 p.m. British time) from the European Space Agency’s launch site in Kourou, on the northeast coast of South America.
Aboard the rocket was the Helios 2 B satellite, developed to help France prepare missions and assess threats worldwide, as well as drawing up maps of uncharted zones in Afghanistan, Iraq, Chad and the neighbouring Sudanese region of Darfur.
French defence officials said Helios was an integral element in France’s military intelligence arsenal.
(Reporting by Franck Leconte in Cayenne, French Guiana, and Alexander Miles)