Amos-8

Spacecom ordered Amos-8 from Space Systems Loral as a replacement for the IAI-built Amos-6 satellite destroyed during a SpaceX Falcon 9 fueling mishap in September 2016.

SSL won two of the six commercial GEO tenders 2018: BSAT-4b and Amos-8.

Israel Aerospace Industries nearly shut down its geostationary communications satellite manufacturing line in 2018 after losing a competition to SSL (now Maxar Technologies) to build the Amos-8 satellite.

Israel Aerospace Industries nearly closed its communications satellite business last year before the Israeli government required Amos-8 to be built domestically rather than by Maxar Technologies in California.

Space Systems Loral (SSL) announced in March that it had been chosen to build the BSAT-4b satellite for Japan-based BSAT and the Amos-8 satellite for Israel-based Spacecom.

SSL won the BSAT-4b and Amos-8 GEO satellite contracts for Japanese operator BSAT and Israeli operator Spacecom, respectively.

Spacecom’s March 2019 decision to buy Amos-8 from a U.S. company instead of Israel Aerospace Industries sparked concern that Israel might lose its ability to produce telecommunications satellites domestically.

One of SSL’s 2018 orders was not fully finalized after Spacecom delayed its downpayment on the $112,000,000 Amos-8 satellite following news that the Israeli government may procure a satellite from Israel Aerospace Industries to co-locate with Spacecom’s fleet at 4 degrees West.

Spacecom has 60 days from contract signing to cancel its $112,000,000 Amos-8 order without incurring fees.

The canceled $112,000,000 contract with Space Systems Loral called for SSL to build Amos-8 on a schedule intended to place the satellite in orbit in 27 months.

Spacecom terminated contracts awarded earlier in 2019 to Space Systems Loral and SpaceX for the Amos-8 telecommunications satellite on 2019-09-25.

IAI lost a 2018 competition to SSL (now Maxar Technologies) to build the Amos-8 satellite.

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.

Spacecom canceled its Amos-8 order after the Israeli government said it would contract directly with Israel Aerospace Industries for Amos-8 and place the satellite at an orbital slot assigned to Spacecom.

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.

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 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 ordered a satellite called Amos-8 from Maxar Technologies in 2018 to replace Amos-6 but canceled the contract after Israel’s government decided the satellite would be built domestically.