Amos-3 Satellite Successfully Launched

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Amos-3 Satellite Successfully Launched
By Gil Ronen
 
Five days after the originally scheduled launch date, Israel's most advanced communications satellite has been successfully launched into space. One hour and 20 minutes after its launch from a site in Kazakhstan Monday, the Amos-3 satellite was released from the final stage of its launch cycle and entered its orbit route.

The satellite joins its older brothers, Amos-1 and 2, both of which are in orbit. A few months from now it will be placed in a geostationary orbit, 36,000 km. from Earth, and will replace the Amos 1, which has been operating for 12 years. It will provide high-quality broadcasting and communications services to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and parts of the United States.

The Amos-3 is Israel's most advanced communication satellite and has four broadcast antennae, two of which are mobile and can be repositioned according to clients' changing needs. The Amos-2, which was launched in December 2003, is expected to remain operational for another 8 years.

The satellite was built by Israel Aerospace Industries' (IAI) Space Division and will carry a 250 kg. payload, compared to 160 kg. for the other Amos satellites.

Amos-4 in the works
In January, Israel launched the TecSar satellite, the first of its kind developed here, and one of the world's most advanced space systems. The TecSar can create high-resolution images using advanced radar technology called Synthetic Aperture Radar.

The IAI has launched 11 communication satellites so far and has already signed a contract for developing a new one, the Amos-4.

Besides the Amos series satellites, Israel operates the TecSar satellite, which employs state-of-the-art radar technology, as well as the Ofek-5, Ofek-7 and Eros-B spy satellites.

The original launch was delayed because of a technical problem but both the Russian Space Agency and Israeli officials told the media that the problem was not in the satellite itself, but rather in a support arm of the launch mechanism, which did not descend properly. The launch had to be postponed for several days because the booster rocket had to be emptied of fuel and then refilled.