"It is for the launch of telecommunication satellites INSAT 4A and INSAT 4B," S. Krishnamurthy told AFP. "These two will be launched in the next two years."

Designed and built by ISRO, the INSAT-4A and the INSAT-4B satellites will each weigh about 3,200 kilos (7,040 pounds).

Earlier Thursday, a European Space Agency Ariane 5 rocket successfully placed into orbit two telecommunications satellites, Including India's INSAT 3A, marking the first launch since a disastrous failure in December.

The Ariane 5 took off from Europe's space base at Kourou, in French Guiana, at 22:52 GMT Wednesday (4:22 am Thursday in India), officials at Arianespace headquarters near Paris said.

It was the first launch of an Ariane 5 since December 12, when a beefed-up version of the rocket, an Ariane 5-ECA, veered off course on its maiden flight. Mission controllers blew up the launcher along with two satellites.

The failure, which was believed to have cost half a billion dollars, was a major setback for Europe's commercial satellite launch industry.

The latest launch was slightly delayed, but at the request of ISRO which sought a postponement following a suspected signal problem in its satellite.

The ISRO in a three-page statement said Thursday that all systems were now working well and fine tuning of the satellite into its designated geo stationery position was underway.

The Indian space agency said that the INSAT 3A was expected to augment India's communication and broadcasting capacity apart from providing meteorological data.

SPACE.WIRE