Satellite for U.S. phone service launched

NEW YORK – The world’s largest commercial satellite was launched into space Wednesday, with a mission to provide phone service to cellular “dead zones” in North America.

The satellite, owned by TerreStar Corp. of Reston, Va., blasted off from Kourou in the South American territory of French Guiana shortly before 2 p.m. Eastern time, carried through pink clouds.

A half-hour later, French satellite launcher Arianespace announced that the TerreStar-1 had successfully separated from the rocket, on its way to an orbit 22,000 miles above the Earth.