Article Posted on : - Dec 10, 2009

The Ariane 5 GS rocket carrying the Helios 2B satellite has been put in stand-by mode. Image credit: Arianespace

PARIS (BNS): The launch of French military satellite, Helios 2B, has been delayed due to technical glitches.

The satellite was scheduled to be launched on board an Ariane 5 GS rocket from the French Guiana space centre at Kourou near here on Wednesday.

“During final count-down operations for Flight 193 slated for today (Wednesday), an anomaly occurred in a launcher subsystem. As a result, Arianespace has decided to replace this part, and thus to postpone the launch for a few days,” Arianespace said in its website.

The launch vehicle along with the satellite payload has been placed in stand-by mode and maintained in fully safe conditions, it added.

Helios 2B, which will join Helios 1A and Helios 2A in orbit, is designed to strengthen strategic autonomy of France and Europe. The military reconnaissance satellite has been developed in partnership with Belgium, Spain, Italy and Greece.