KOUROU (French Guiana) (AFP) - An Ariane rocket placed two Eutelsat Communications satellites, Hot Bird 9 and W2M, into orbit after blasting off Saturday from Kourou space centre in French Guiana, Arianespace announced. The launch of the rocket, the sixth Ariane this year, took place at 2235 GMT after a 45-minute delay in the countdown caused by a problem connected with the feed of liquid hydrogen. Hot Bird 9, built by EADS-Astrium, will beam television programmes to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa while W2M, built by EADS-Astrium and Indian space agency Isro, will feed central and eastern Europe as well as Indian Ocean islands. Eutelsat said the two satellites were the first elements of a "major expansion programme" made up of seven satellites that are to be launched by the end of 2010.