The Ariane 5 space rocket which carries the BRIsat, a satellite owned by state-owned bank PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia, at the Arianespace launch pad at Kourou, France Guiana, US. Image: BRI
TEMPO.CO, Kourou - Ariane 5 has returned to the launch pad for the third time this year with the lofting of the Echostar 18 and BRIsat satellites on Saturday local time. The rocket has successfully launched the satellites.
Indonesia's BRIsat is the first satellite dedicated to serving a bank. The launch – from the European Spaceport in Kourou – was realigned to Saturday, following a scrub on Friday due to high altitude wind constraints.
Reported by spaceflightnow.com, David Pidgeon, executive director of EchoStar programs for Space Systems/Loral, confirmed both the EchoStar 18 and BRIsat satellites are in contact with mission controllers.
Meanwhile, Arianespace's chairman and chief executive Stephane Israel has confirmed success on today's launch, marking the Ariane 5's 72nd consecutive successful flight since 2003.
