An Ariane 5 rocket with two satellites and a lunar explorer was launched at 8:14 pm Saturday (0014 GMT Sunday) from the launch center of European Space Agency (ESA) in French Guiana.

It is Europe's first mission to the moon, according to an AFP's report.

Space officials said The 162nd takeoff of a European launcher was to put in orbit two geo-stationary satellites, one Indian and one European.

The flight had initially been scheduled for Aug. 28 but was postponed on two occasions in order to allow the Indian Space Research Organization to carry out extra checks on its communications satellite before launch.

(Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2003)