Ariane 5 places Japan, Australia satellites in orbitAn Ariane 5 rocket successfully placed communications satellites into geostationary orbit geostationary orbit A circular orbit positioned approximately 35,900 km (22,258 mi) above Earth's equator and having a period of the same duration and direction as the rotation of the Earth. on Friday for Japan's SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation JSAT Corporation (JSAT) is satellite operator with a fleet of 8 satellites in orbit. According to a 2004 report, JSAT was the fifth largest satellite operator in the world, ranked by 2003 fiscal year revenue. and Australian operator Optus, according to Arianespace. The dual payload lifted off from the Arianespace launch site in Kourou, French Guiana at 2209 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) See UTC. GMT - Universal Time 1 . Weighing some 4,000 kilos (8,800 pounds), the JSAT JSAT Joint Security Assistance Training JSAT Joint Safety Analysis Team JSAT JSC Safety Action Team JSAT Joint System Acceptance Testing JSAT Jeunes Science Association of Tunisia satellite will provide communication services for Japan, the Asia-Pacific region, Oceania and Hawaii. It was built by US company Lockheed Martin, and is designed to last 15 years. The 2,500-kilo (5,500-pound) Optus will be the fifth satellite hoisted into orbit for the Australian operator will provide direct TV and broadcasting services for Australia and New Zealand New Zealand (zē`lənd), island country (2005 est. pop. 4,035,000), 104,454 sq mi (270,534 sq km), in the S Pacific Ocean, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) SE of Australia. The capital is Wellington; the largest city and leading port is Auckland. . Made by Orbital Science Corporation in Dulles, Virginia, it too is made to function for a decade-and-a-half. The launch was the 190th mission completed by Ariane rockets, and the 46th by the current generation of Ariane 5 rockets. 
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