The last of the Ariane 4 rockets was launched Saturday with the Intelsat 907 satellite onboard.

Intelsat ranks as the heaviest user of Arianespace‘s services and has had more than 60 percent of its operating satellites lifted by the French launch company since 1983. With Flight 159, Ariane 4 has performed 74 successful launches in a row, and now has ended service after placing 182 satellites in orbit. Arianespace is switching its launch services over to the troubled Ariane 5 vehicle.

The Intelsat 907 satellite is expected to become operational in March. The satellite is the seventh in an eight-satellite series to replace Intelsat’s capacity by the end of 2003. The Intelsat 907 is being deployed at 332.5 degrees East Longitude and will offer capacity for telephony, corporate networks, Internet, video and hybrid space/terrestrial solutions to customers on its 76 C-band and 22 Ku-band transponders.