Arianespace Flight 159: Intelsat 907’s launch is delayed

The liftoff of Arianespace Flight 159’s with Intelsat’s newest Intelsat
IX-series satellite has been put on hold due to unfavorable weather
conditions at the launch site in French Guiana.

Although weather at ground-level was fine throughout the day, high altitude
winds led to the countdown being stopped before the mobile service gantry
was to be withdrawn this evening. As a result, activity on the launch pad
was suspended prior to the startup of third stage fueling.

Liftoff of Flight 159 – the final mission with an Ariane 4 – had been
targeted for a one-hour launch window on February 12 that opened at 4:00
a.m. local Kourou time (07h00 GMT, 8:00 a.m. Paris time and 2:00 a.m. on the
U.S. East Coast.)

Flight 159’s Ariane 4 and the Intelsat 907 satellite payload have been put
in a safe mode, ready for the next launch attempt – the timing of which will
depend on the evolving weather conditions.