The European Space Agency successfully launched the 78th Ariane 5 rocket from the Guiana Space Centre on Sunday afternoon. Flight VA222 was launched around 4:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday; the rocket delivered two European telecommunications satellites into orbit.
Norway's Thor-7 will service the maritime communications and broadcasting sectors. Italy's Sicral-2 will provide telecommunications support for the French and Italian militaries. Both satellites have a design life of 15 years.
