'Ariane' to launch Malaysian satellite

'Ariane' to launch Malaysian satellite

LE BOURGET, France (AFP): The European space rocket Ariane has been chosen to launch Malaysia's second satellite, MEASAT-2, in October next year, officials said yesterday.

The rocket's makers Arianespace and Malaysian consortium Binariang Sdn Bhd signed a contract for the launch in the presence of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, they said. The amount of the contract was not revealed.

The Asian country's first satellite, MEASAT-1, is to be blasted into orbit by an Ariane rocket this December from its launch site in Kourou in French Guyana.

The 1,500 kilos satellites are designed to provide multiple communications services not only for Malaysia, but for the entire Southeast Asian region including the Australian state of Queensland, Vietnam and Indonesia.