Amos-4

Spacecraft nº:

Israelian spacecraft nº: 18

Launch data: Designation  39237 / 13045A Launch date  31 Aug 2013 - 20:05 UT Launch site  Baik, LC45 Launch vehicle  Zenit-3SLB Mission  Communication Geostationary orbit: Perigee / Apogee  35577 x 35801 km Eccentricity   Inclination  0.1 deg Period  1436.1 min

Description:

• 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 will initially operate from 67.25 degrees east longitude for in-orbit testing.

Mission details:

• A Land Launch Zenit-3M rocket (also known as Zenit-3SLB) took flight from Baikonur on Aug 31, 2013. The rocket consists of the two-stage Yuzhnoe Zenit-2SB with an Energiya Blok DM-SLB upper stage. Payload for this mission was the Israeli AMOS-4 satellite for the Spacecom company of Tel Aviv.
• This was the first Zenit launch since the Feb 1 Sea Launch failure.
  The Blok DM-SLB put AMOS-4 in a geostationary transfer orbit. On Sep 10 it was in a 35577 x 35801 km x 0.1 deg orbit drifting eastward past 60E.
• AMOS 4 was built by IAI-MBT and has a mass of 3400 kg, much more than previous AMOS satellites. Its physical dimensions have not been released but the bus is probably around 5.0 x 2.5m with a span across the two solar arrays in the 12 to 15 meter range.
  The Zenit second stage flew a suborbital trajectory and its reentry just northeast of Vladivostok was widely observed in the region.

Satellite tracking: