An Ariane-5 carrier rocket carrying a French defense ministry reconnaissance satellite will be launched on Thursday from the Kourou launch site in French Guiana.

The launch, initially scheduled for December 9, was postponed due to a malfunction in the liquid helium subsystem on Ariane 5's cryogenic main stage several hours before the launch window.

The rocket carrying the HELIOS 2B satellite is now scheduled to blast off at 19.26 Moscow time [16:26 GMT], the Arianespace launch company said in a statement.

The HELIOS 2B satellite was designed to gather images that will help France to draw maps, prepare missions and perform other tasks in the areas of military interest.

It was developed by a European company EADS Astrium and produced by France in cooperation with Belgium, Spain, Italy and Greece, which contributed up to 2.5% of the program's cost, which is estimated as 1.8 billion euro ($2.6 billion), according to the French defense ministry's website.

The Helios 2B will join two other Helios military observation satellites, Helios 1, launched in 1995, and Helios 2A, orbited in 2004.

The mission will be the seventh flight of an Ariane 5 rocket this year and the 193rd launch of an Ariane-type rocket.

PARIS, December 17 (RIA Novosti)