AMOS (Affordable Modular Optimized Satellite)
AMOS (African Mediterranean Orbital Satellite)

AMOS (Affordable Modular Optimized Satellite) is a 3-axis-stabilized satellite with a mostly rectangular spacecraft bus (2 m x 2 m x 1.5 m) and two short solar arrays providing about 1 kW of electrical power. An operational lifetime of up to 10 years was expected for AMOS 1 at a location of 4 degrees W. AMOS 1 was tested in a simulated space environment by INTESPACE (France) in 1995. An AMOS-class satellite was also being considered by Hungary for its Magyarsat system. The Hungarian satellite would also be located at 4 degrees W and could serve as a backup to AMOS 1 (References 138-146).

The first of the AMOS family is a FSS (Fixed Service Satellite), DBS (Direct Broadcasting Satellite), GEO communication satellite. AMOS-1 has 9 active transponders, which make it highly cost-efficient and attractive for domestic satellite communication services, which include Direct-To-Home TV broadcasting, VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminals) applications, etc. AMOS-1 was successfully launched by an Ariane 44 L rocket along with Palapa C-2 from Kourou. It carried seven transponders in the Ku-band to enable voice and vision communications to a large area centered in Israel. AMOS-1 is controlled from a Ground Control Station designed, built, maintained and operated by IAI\MBT Space controllers. It had a launch weight of 998 Kg and a payload power of 800 W.

AMOS 2 is a Fixed Service Satellite [FSS] and **Direct Broadcasting Satellite [DBS] communications satellite, co-located with AMOS-3 in GEO orbit at 4W. The Amos 2 geostationary communcations satellite that was launched by a Soyuz-Fregat rocket from Baikonur at 21:30 UT on 27 December 2003. The satellite carries 11 Ku-band transponders to provide direct-to-home television, internet and data transmissions to the West Asia, Europe and eastern United States after parking over 4.0 degrees W longitude. It weighed 1,374 kg at launch, with a payload power of 1320 W. AMOS 2 communications satellite has 11 active transponders (plus three redundant) and is controlled from a Ground Control Station at IAI/MBT Space.

AMOS-3 communications satellite is co-located with AMOS-2 in GEO orbit at 4W. It had a launch weight of 1300 Kg (with fuel) and a payload power of 1700 W. AMOS III replaced AMOS I. Amos 3 is an Israeli geostationary communications satellite that was launched by a Zenit 3SLB rocket from Baikonur at 05:00 UT on 28 April 2008. The spacecraft carries 24 Ku-band with steerable beams and three fixed-beam Ka-band transponders to provide voice, video and internet services to Europe, US, and the Middle East after parking over 4.0 degrees W longitude.

Amos 5, an Israeli communications satellite, was launched from Baikonur on 11 December 2011 at 11:17 UT by a Proton rocket. The craft weighed 1590 kg and will join Israel's communication fleet. It carries 18 Ku-band and 18 C-band transponders. Amos 5 will provide direct television broadcasting, cellular telephone routing and internet services covering Africa and connecting to Europe and the Middle East. It will be positioned at 17 degrees E longitude. It has an expected service life of 15 years.

Amos 4 was built for Spacecom, a satellite communications service provider operating internationally from Israel. AMOS 4 is the newest communications satellite by MBT Space division, was sucsessfully launched in August 2013. AMOS-4 is the largest and most sophisticated communication satellite built in Israel. It had a launch weight of 4.3 tons. It provides flexible coverage by using steerable antennae. AMOS 4 was built by Israel Aerospace Industries for Spacecom, Israel's Tel Aviv-based communications satellite operator. The geostationary satellite will provide direct-to-home television broadcasting, multimedia, broadband Internet and mobile communications services for 12 years. Amos 4 will extend Spaceom's coverage footprint to Russia and Asia, along with improving service in the Middle East and Europe with Ku-band and Ka-band transponders. The satellite will be positioned in geostationary orbit 22,300 miles [35,888 km] over the equator at 65 degrees east longitude, but Amos 4 initially operate from 67.25 degrees east longitude for in-orbit testing.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 AMOS-17 rocket launched on August 6, 2019, from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The AMOS-17 mission will be the most advanced satellite to provide satellite communication services to Africa. The newest AMOS satellite is a communications satellite expected to operate for the next 20 years, providing services to customers in Africa, which has the fastest growing population in the world. The satellite was built by Boeing Aerospace in accordance with the design specifications of Ramat Gan-based Spacecom (short for Space Communications Ltd.) Spacecom currently provided communication services to Africa through its AMOS-4 and AMOS-7 satellites. A solar-powered terminal is all an African local will need to connect with AMOS-17, and voila! Internet access is acquired via the high-throughput satellite services (HTS) and C-band frequencies that will allow for high availability of service.