A European Ariane 5 rocket blasted off from Kourou in French Guiana tonight, March 22nd 2014 at 22:04 UTC carrying two satellites into orbit - Astra 5B and Amazonas 4A.
This was the second Araine 5 launch of 2014, The Ariane 5 is 53 meters tall and has a liftoff mass of around 800 tonns. The first stage is powered by a Vulcain 2 engine and two solid rocket boosters, much like the Space Shuttle.
Astra 5B for SES in Luxembourg will be positioned at 31.5 degrees East for Eastern European Direct-To-Home broadcasting. Amazonas 4A for Hispasat will be positioned at 61 degrees West for South American coverage.