Amos Spacecom, formally known as Space Communications Ltd, is an Israeli-based global fixed-satellite operator and satellite service provider. It operates the AMOS satellite fleet, providing broadcast and broadband services with coverage over Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Spacecom offers tailored communication solutions to media, telecommunications, and broadband industries, governments, and private networks. Key services include direct-to-home broadcasting, broadband internet access, and communication services, with major partners and customers including the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and other clients in Angola, and Nigeria.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
Francesca Letizia, an engineer at the Space Debris Office of the European Space Agency, presented findings from ESA’s Space Environment Report at the AMOS conference on 2019-09-19.
Spacecom lost the Amos-6 satellite during a Falcon 9 explosion days before a planned 2016 launch.
Spacecom contracted Boeing to build Amos-17 in December 2016 under a $161,000,000 contract.
Spacecom ordered Amos-8 from Maxar Technologies in 2018 but canceled the purchase and the associated SpaceX Falcon 9 launch contract after the Israeli government decided the satellite would be built domestically.
SpaceX launched a communications satellite for Israeli operator Spacecom on 2019-08-06 on an expendable Falcon 9 mission.
Spacecom signed Nigerian broadcaster IDS Africa as a customer for Amos-17 prior to the satellite’s launch.
Spacecom purchased Amos-17 from Boeing in 2016 as a replacement for Amos-5.
Israel’s Ministry of Science and Technology committed government financial support to have Amos-8 built in Israel by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
Spacecom purchased Amos-8 from SSL in March 2018 and terminated that contract three weeks after the Israeli government indicated intent to order a domestically built satellite from IAI.
Spacecom filed on 2018-11-01 with the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange that the $10,000,000 late fee resulted from arbitration over Amos-6’s protracted production.
Spacecom ordered Amos-6 from Israel Aerospace Industries in 2012 for $200,000,000.
On 2018-09-03, Israel’s Ministry of Science and Technology designated Amos-8 to be built in Israel with government support.
When Spacecom contracted with Space Systems Loral, Spacecom planned to have Amos-8 built and launched by 2020.
In mid-October, Spacecom was negotiating with Israel Aerospace Industries to build Amos-8 following Israeli government involvement in the program.
Spacecom is leasing AsiaSat-8 from Hong Kong-based AsiaSat for $22,000,000 annually to fill the service void over Africa left by the loss of Amos-6.
Israel Aerospace Industries was ordered to pay Spacecom $10,000,000 for late delivery of the Amos-6 satellite.
Spacecom terminated its contract with Space Systems Loral six months after ordering Amos-8 following domestic criticism that selecting an overseas contractor jeopardized Israel Aerospace Industries’ ability to remain in the telecom satellite manufacturing business.
Spacecom originally ordered Amos-8 from U.S.-based Space Systems Loral in March as a replacement for Amos-6.
SSL lost a contract with Israeli satellite operator Spacecom to build the Amos-8 satellite, leaving SSL with one new satellite order 2018, BSAT-4B for Japanese operator BSAT.
SSL’s loss of the Amos-8 contract is a setback to the Palo Alto, California-based company’s geostationary satellite manufacturing business that parent company Maxar Technologies is considering selling, partnering off, or closing.