AMOS 1
Encyclopedia
Intelsat 24, previously Amos-1, is a commercial communication satellite which is operated by Intelsat
. It was previously operated by Spacecom
as Amos-1, and formed part of the AMOS series of satellites
. It was the first Israel
i communications satellite, and was initially positioned at 4° West
longitude in geostationary orbit
. It has since been moved to 47.3 degrees West.
Its development was based on experience from Ofeq
reconnaissance satellites in association with DASA and Alcatel Espace. It was launched at May 16, 1996 from Kourou
in French Guiana, aboard an Ariane 4
rocket flying in the 44L configuration. It was used for home TV services (DTH/DBS by "Yes" company in Israel and by HBO and others in Europe). Spacecom
succeeded quickly to fill all transmission abilities of Amos-1 and accumulated additional requests. Therefore Spacecom decided to broaden its activity and initiated AMOS 2
creation, which is today in its full ownership. AMOS-1 carries nine Ku band transponders.
Weighing 970 kg at launch, Amos-1 incorporated a 400 Newton liquid apogee motor and fourteen reaction control thrusters, each delivering ten Newtons of thrust for raising the satellite's orbit from geostationary transfer orbit to its final geostationary orbit as well as for its attitude control. It carried 450 kg of propellant (monomethyl hydrazine and MON-3
).
Amos-1 measures 11.5 m in length in its final in-orbit configuration. It is 3-axis body stabilised using Sun and Earth sensors, momentum and reaction wheels. Its solar array generates 1380 W power, backed up by 24 A·h Ni-Cd batteries. After its launch was raised to its final geostationary orbit by firing the apogee boost motor in phases. After it reached the geostationary orbit, its antennae and solar panels were deployed and the satellite was placed in its allocated slot at 4° West longitude. Amos 1 and Amos 2 were placed in proximity to create common location, which enables to satellite
users to increase user abilities without additional antennas
.
In 2009, Amos-1 was sold to Intelsat, and became Intelsat 24.
Intelsat
Intelsat, Ltd. is a communications satellite services provider.Originally formed as International Telecommunications Satellite Organization , it was—from 1964 to 2001—an intergovernmental consortium owning and managing a constellation of communications satellites providing international broadcast...
. It was previously operated by Spacecom
Spacecom
Spacecom, or Space Communication , is a communications satellite operator in the Middle East, European Union and North-America headquartered in the city of Ramat Gan, Israel...
as Amos-1, and formed part of the AMOS series of satellites
Amos (satellite)
AMOS is a name for a series of Israeli communications satellites. All AMOS satellites are operated by Spacecom and are developed by its partner, Israel Aerospace Industries ....
. It was the first Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i communications satellite, and was initially positioned at 4° West
4th meridian west
The meridian 4° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Africa, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
longitude in geostationary orbit
Geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth's equator , with a period equal to the Earth's rotational period and an orbital eccentricity of approximately zero. An object in a geostationary orbit appears motionless, at a fixed position in the sky, to ground observers...
. It has since been moved to 47.3 degrees West.
Its development was based on experience from Ofeq
Ofeq
Ofeq, also spelled Offek or Ofek is the designation of a series of Israeli reconnaissance satellites first launched in 1988. All Ofeq satellites have been carried on top of Shavit rockets from Palmachim Airbase in Israel, on the Mediterranean coast. The Low Earth Orbit satellites complete one...
reconnaissance satellites in association with DASA and Alcatel Espace. It was launched at May 16, 1996 from Kourou
Kourou
Kourou is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America.Kourou is the location of the Guiana Space Centre, France and ESA's main spaceport.-Geography:...
in French Guiana, aboard an Ariane 4
Ariane 4
Ariane 4 was an expendable launch system, designed by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales and manufactured and marketed by its subsidiary Arianespace. Ariane 4 was justly known as the ‘workhorse’ of the Ariane family. Since its first flight on 15 June 1988 until the last, on 15 February 2003, it...
rocket flying in the 44L configuration. It was used for home TV services (DTH/DBS by "Yes" company in Israel and by HBO and others in Europe). Spacecom
Spacecom
Spacecom, or Space Communication , is a communications satellite operator in the Middle East, European Union and North-America headquartered in the city of Ramat Gan, Israel...
succeeded quickly to fill all transmission abilities of Amos-1 and accumulated additional requests. Therefore Spacecom decided to broaden its activity and initiated AMOS 2
AMOS 2
AMOS-2 is an Israeli commercial communication satellite, part of the AMOS series of satellites. The satellite was positioned at 4° W longitude in the geo-stationary orbit....
creation, which is today in its full ownership. AMOS-1 carries nine Ku band transponders.
Weighing 970 kg at launch, Amos-1 incorporated a 400 Newton liquid apogee motor and fourteen reaction control thrusters, each delivering ten Newtons of thrust for raising the satellite's orbit from geostationary transfer orbit to its final geostationary orbit as well as for its attitude control. It carried 450 kg of propellant (monomethyl hydrazine and MON-3
Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen
Mixed oxides of nitrogen are solutions of nitric oxide in dinitrogen tetroxide/nitrogen dioxide . It may be used as an oxidizing agent in rocket propulsion systems. A broad range of compositions is available, and can be denoted as MONi, where i represents the percentage of nitric oxide in the...
).
Amos-1 measures 11.5 m in length in its final in-orbit configuration. It is 3-axis body stabilised using Sun and Earth sensors, momentum and reaction wheels. Its solar array generates 1380 W power, backed up by 24 A·h Ni-Cd batteries. After its launch was raised to its final geostationary orbit by firing the apogee boost motor in phases. After it reached the geostationary orbit, its antennae and solar panels were deployed and the satellite was placed in its allocated slot at 4° West longitude. Amos 1 and Amos 2 were placed in proximity to create common location, which enables to satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
users to increase user abilities without additional antennas
Antenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
.
In 2009, Amos-1 was sold to Intelsat, and became Intelsat 24.
External links
- http://www.amos-spacecom.com/amos1/page.asp?cat=43&type=4&lang=1