French Guiana: Arianspace launches rocket carrying Saudi and Indian satellites

Arianespace used an Ariane 5 ECA rocket to launch new communications satellites for Saudi Arabia’s Arabsat and the Indian Space Research Organisation from the ELA-3 launch site in Kourou, French Guiana on Tuesday. The Arabsat satellite will be coined BADR-7 once in orbit. It is the ninth orbiting satellite launched by Arianspace for the use of Arabsat; a Saudi Arabian-based communications organisation. The satellite will provide broadcast, broadband and telecommunication services over Africa, Central Asia as well as the Middle East. The second satellite aboard the rocket, the GSAT-15, was built by the Indian Space Research Organisation, it will be the 19th satellite launched by Arianspace for the group. It is designed to deliver navigation aid and emergency services for India.