The launch of rocket Ariane 5-ECA, scheduled for late November, has been postponed to next January, said a senior official of the Ariancespace company.

"We are very close to the launching requirement and the rocket engine has been put on the tower. But we will not blast it off if we are not so sure (that the launch will be successful)," he said.

After its maiden flight failed in December 2002, the heavyweight European space rocket has been planned for a second launch in early 2003, which was canceled later due to technical reasons, he added.

However, the official is still optimistic about the future of Ariane 5, saying this kind of rocket has been launched successfully five times since 2002.

The latest Ariane 5 was the most powerful in the 13-nation European agency's unmanned Ariane rockets. It was capable of carrying 10-ton payloads. Previous rockets could only carry six tons.