AMOS 2
Encyclopedia
AMOS-2 |
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| Organization | 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... |
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| Mission Type | Communications satellite Communications satellite A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications... |
| Launch | December 27, 2003 on Soyuz Soyuz spacecraft Soyuz , Union) is a series of spacecraft initially designed for the Soviet space programme by the Korolyov Design Bureau in the 1960s, and still in service today... |
| Launch site | Baikonur Cosmodrome Baikonur Cosmodrome The Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level... |
| Mission duration | 12 years |
| Mass Mass Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:... |
1370 kg (launch) |
| Webpage | http://www.amos-spacecom.com/amos1/page.asp?cat=44&type=4&lang=1 |
| Orbit | GEO 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... at 4° W 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.... |
AMOS-2 is an Israeli
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
commercial communication satellite, 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 ....
. The satellite was positioned at 4° W
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 the geo-stationary 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 was launched at December 27, 2003 from Baikonur
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level...
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
and it serves clients in three service regions: Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
(including Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
), Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and eastern coast of USA. Transmission
Transmission (telecommunications)
Transmission, in telecommunications, is the process of sending, propagating and receiving an analogue or digital information signal over a physical point-to-point or point-to-multipoint transmission medium, either wired, optical fiber or wireless...
and communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
services given by this 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....
include: direct distribution of TV and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
translations, TV and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
translations to communication centers, distribution of internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
services, data transmissions to communication networks.
AMOS-2 carries Eleven Ku-band transponders.
Weighing 1370 kg at launch, AMOS-2 incorporated a 400 newton Liquid Apogee Boost Motor (ABM) and Fourteen 10 newton Reaction Control Thrusters for raising the satellite's orbit from Geo-stationary Transfer orbit to its final geo- stationary orbit as well as for its altitude 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-2 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 1700W power, backed up by 24 A·h Ni-Cd batteries.
After its launch into Geo-synchronous transfer orbit by Soyuz
Soyuz spacecraft
Soyuz , Union) is a series of spacecraft initially designed for the Soviet space programme by the Korolyov Design Bureau in the 1960s, and still in service today...
, AMOS-2 was taken to its final geo-stationary orbit by firing the apogee boost motor in phases. After it reached the geo-stationary orbit, its antenna and solar Panels were deployed and the satellite was finally placed in its allocated slot of 4° W
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.
Amos 1 and Amos 2 are 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...
.