A European Ariane-5 rocket successfully launched a European weather satellite and an Indian telecommunications satellite into orbit late on Wednesday.

The Ariane-5 rocket took off from the European Space Agency's launch center in Kourou on the northeast coast of south America at 7:33 p.m.(2233 GMT).

Aboard the rocket is the INSAT-4A telecommunications satellite for India's Space Research Organization and MSG-2, a new generation weather satellite for Europe's meteorologial agency EUMETSAT.

The launch is the sixth this year for Arianespace and the 169th flight since the European launcher began operation in 1979.

The Arianespace rocket launch company said it plans up to six launches in 2006.

Source: Xinhua