AMOS-3, also known as AMOS-60, is an

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

communications satellite A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Ear ...

operated by Spacecom Satellite Communications.

History

Spacecom Satellite Communications has signed an agreement in September 2005 with

Israel Aerospace Industries Israel Aerospace Industries (Hebrew: התעשייה האווירית לישראל ''ha-ta'asiya ha-avirit le-yisra'el'') or IAI (תע"א) is Israel's major aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial and astronautic systems for both mi ...

(IAI) to buy its third satellite, AMOS-3, from the Israeli defense contractor.

Satellite description

The satellite is powered by twin

solar panels A solar cell panel, solar electric panel, photo-voltaic (PV) module, PV panel or solar panel is an assembly of photovoltaic solar cells mounted in a (usually rectangular) frame, and a neatly organised collection of PV panels is called a phot ...

, and is based on the Israeli AMOS Bus. It replaced

AMOS-1 AMOS-1, then INTELSAT 24, is a commercial communications satellite which was operated by Spacecom as AMOS-1, for ''Affordable Modular Optimized Satellite'' and formed part of the AMOS series of satellites. It was the first Israeli civilian co ...

geosynchronous orbit A geosynchronous orbit (sometimes abbreviated GSO) is an Earth-centered orbit with an orbital period that matches Earth's rotation on its axis, 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds (one sidereal day). The synchronization of rotation and orbit ...

at 4° West. AMOS-3 carries fourteen Ku-band /

Ka-band The Ka band (pronounced as either "kay-ay band" or "ka band") is a portion of the microwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum defined as frequencies in the range 26.5–40 gigahertz (GHz), i.e. wavelengths from slightly over one centime ...

transponders, and is expected to have an on-orbit lifetime of 18 years.

Launch

It was launched atop the maiden flight of the Zenit-3SLB

launch vehicle A launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket designed to carry a payload (spacecraft or satellites) from the Earth's surface to outer space. Most launch vehicles operate from a launch pads, supported by a launch control center and syste ...

, the first launch contracted by the

Land Launch Land Launch refers to a service product of Sea Launch SA. There is no entity or company called Land Launch. Sea Launch created the Land Launch offering to address lighter satellites directly into geosynchronous orbit or into geosynchronous transf ...

organisation. The launch was originally scheduled to occur in 2007, and later March 2008, however this was delayed until 24 April 2008. The launch attempt on 24 April 2008 was scrubbed for "technical reasons". This was later determined to be a problem with the erector/transporter system, which had failed to retract and move away from the launch vehicle. AMOS-3 lifted-off from Site 45/1 at the

Baikonur Cosmodrome ''Baiqoñyr ğaryş ailağy'' rus, Космодром Байконур''Kosmodrom Baykonur'' , image = Baikonur Cosmodrome Soyuz launch pad.jpg , caption = The Baikonur Cosmodrome's " Gagarin's Start" Soyu ...

at 05:00:00 UTC on 28 April 2008.

AMOS-60

The satellite was renamed AMOS-60 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel in 2018.

References

External links