Posted: Thu, Dec 17, 2009, 8:42 PM ET (0142 GMT)
Thursday's scheduled launch of a French reconnaissance satellite on an Ariane 5 was scrubbed because of a technical problem. The launch of Helios 2B on an Ariane 5 was scheduled for 11:26 am EST (1626 GMT) form Kourou, French Guiana, but the countdown was stopped several minutes before launch; because the spacecraft has an "instantaneous" launch window, the launch was therefore scrubbed. Arianespace officials only said that an unspecified anomaly took place during the countdown. No new launch date has been announced, although another launch attempt on Friday is possible. A launch attempt last week was also scrubbed because of a problem with a launcher subsystem.

Related Links:

•  NASASpaceFlight.com article
•  AP article
•  Arianespace press release
•  Spaceflight Now launch status center