Technical hitch delays Ariane rocket launch

KOUROU, French Guyana, Mar 11 (Reuters) A technical hitch delayed the scheduled launch in French Guyana of a heavy-lift Ariane-5 rocket slated to launch two satellites, space officials said.

''We were not able to correct our water tower anomaly in time. We will attempt to correct the problem with an objective of launching today,'' Jean Yves Le Gall, president of the Arianespace rocket launch company, said.

The rocket was carrying the Skynet 5A military communications satellite for Britain's Ministry of Defence and Insat 4B, a civilian communications satellite for India's Space Research Organisation.

Reuters DKS VP0500