The launch readiness review (RAL) took place in Kourou on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 and authorised count-down operations for the DIRECTV 9S & OPTUS D1 launch.
For its fourth launch of the year Arianespace will boost three satellites into orbit : DIRECTV 9S for American operator DIRECTV, Inc., OPTUS D1 for the Australian operator OPTUS, and the experimental satellite LDREX-2 for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA.