The AMOS (

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

: ), an acronym for Affordable Modular Optimized Satellite, is a family of light weight

satellite bus A satellite bus (or spacecraft bus) is the main body and structural component of a satellite or spacecraft, in which the payload and all scientific instruments are held. Bus-derived satellites are opposed to specially produced satellites. Bus-d ...

for

geostationary orbit A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular geosynchronous orbit in altitud ...

communications satellite A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth. C ...

designed and manufactured by

Israel Aerospace Industries Israel Aerospace Industries (Hebrew: התעשייה האווירית לישראל ''ha-ta'asiya ha-avirit le-yisra'el'') or IAI (תע"א) is Israel's major aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial and astronautic systems for both mi ...

(IAI) of

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

Families

Little is known regarding the different variations. But it is known of at least two built versions and a third in development.

AMOS (original)

The AMOS bus is a lightweight version used for satellites between , with 800 to 1700

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...

s of power. The

started with the AMOS-1, the smallest of all the family, and increased mass, payload successively in the

AMOS-2 AMOS-2 is an Israeli commercial second generation communication satellite, part of the AMOS series of satellites. The satellite was positioned at 4° West longitude in the geostationary orbit. Transmission and communication services given by ...

and

AMOS-3 AMOS-3, also known as AMOS-60, is an Israeli communications satellite operated by Spacecom Satellite Communications. History Spacecom Satellite Communications has signed an agreement in September 2005 with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI ...

AMOS 4000

The AMOS 4000 platform is the second generation, a much bigger and sophisticated satellite bus. It is prepared for satellites weighing between and with power generation between 3 and 12 kW. It offers more autonomous capabilities and advanced control applications. It is composed of three modules: Bus, Repeater and Earth Facing Antennas. Only two satellites have used this bus:

AMOS-4 AMOS-4 is an Israeli commercial communications satellite, operated by Spacecom Satellite Communications, Tel Aviv-based, part of the AMOS series of satellites. History Spacecom, the AMOS satellites operator, announced in 2007 that it has ...

, massing and generating 6 kW of power. And

AMOS-6 AMOS-6 was an Israeli communications satellite, one of the Spacecom AMOS series, that was built by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), a defense and aerospace company. AMOS-6 was intended to be launched on flight 29 of a SpaceX Falcon 9 to ...

at and generating 10 kW. But AMOS-6 is enhanced by using

electric propulsion Spacecraft electric propulsion (or just electric propulsion) is a type of spacecraft propulsion technique that uses electrostatic or electromagnetic fields to accelerate mass to high speed and thus generate thrust to modify the velocity of a sp ...

for station keeping only.

Orbit raising In celestial mechanics, an orbit is the curved trajectory of an physical body, object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an satellite, artificial satellite around an object or pos ...

is still done by the more traditional and faster chemical propulsion.

AMOS E

The next development of the AMOS satellite bus is the implementation of pure

. The increased efficiency for

orbit raising In celestial mechanics, an orbit is the curved trajectory of an physical body, object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an satellite, artificial satellite around an object or pos ...

and station keeping in comparison to chemical propulsion can result in reductions of mass of up to 50%. The expected spacecraft mass will be in the range and offer an expected life of 15 years. This new product will be ready by 2018 and IAI expect it to win some foreign orders.

List of AMOS-based satellites

The currently known uses of the AMOS satellite bus has been for most of the AMOS series of civilian communications satellites operated by

Spacecom Spacecom, or Space Communication (), is an Israeli communications satellite operator in the Middle East, European Union and North America headquartered in the city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Spacecom operates two satellites at orbital position 4° ...

, also of

. * AMOS-1 *

References

{{Reflist, 30em, refs= {{cite web, url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sat/iai_amos.htm, title=IAI: AMOS Bus, publisher=Gunter's Space Page, date=2016-04-09, access-date=2016-07-26 {{cite web, url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/amos-1.htm, title=AMOS 1 → Intelsat 24, publisher=Gunter's Space Page, date=2016-04-17, access-date=2016-07-26 {{cite web, url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/amos-1.htm, title=AMOS 2, publisher=Gunter's Space Page, date=2016-04-17, access-date=2016-07-26 {{cite web, url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/amos-1.htm, title=AMOS 3 (AMOS 60), publisher=Gunter's Space Page, date=2016-04-17, access-date=2016-07-26 {{cite web, url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/amos-1.htm, title=AMOS 4, publisher=Gunter's Space Page, date=2016-04-17, access-date=2016-07-26 {{cite web, url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/amos-1.htm, title=AMOS 6, publisher=Gunter's Space Page, date=2016-04-17, access-date=2016-07-26 {{cite web, url=http://www.iai.co.il/2013/35072-39210-en/SystemMissileandSpace_SpaceDivision_CommunicationSatellites_AMOS1.aspx, title=AMOS1 Communications Satellite, publisher=Israel Aerospace Industries, date=2015-10-12, access-date=2016-07-26 {{cite web, url=http://www.iai.co.il/2013/35076-39211-en/SystemMissileandSpace_SpaceDivision_CommunicationSatellites_AMOS2.aspx, title=AMOS2 Communications Satellite, publisher=Israel Aerospace Industries, date=2015-10-12, access-date=2016-07-26 {{cite web, url=http://www.iai.co.il/2013/35074-39212-en/SystemMissileandSpace_SpaceDivision_CommunicationSatellites_AMOS3.aspx, title=AMOS3 Communications Satellite, publisher=Israel Aerospace Industries, date=2015-10-12, access-date=2016-07-26 {{cite web, url=http://www.iai.co.il/2013/34941-39213-EN/Groups_SystemMissileandSpace_SpaceDivision_CommunicationSatellites.aspx, title=AMOS4 Communications Satellite, publisher=Israel Aerospace Industries, date=2015-10-12 , access-date=2016-07-26 {{cite web, url=http://www.iai.co.il/Shared/UserControls/Print/PopUp.aspx?lang=en&docid=22441, title=IAI/MBT Division Space Technologies, publisher=Israel Aerospace Industries, date=2001-06-18, access-date=2016-07-26 {{cite web, url=http://www.iai.co.il/2013/36757-45460-en/MediaRoom.aspx, title=Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has successfully launched Spacecom's AMOS-4, publisher=Israel Aerospace Industries, date=2013-08-31, access-date=2016-07-26 {{cite web, url=http://www.iai.co.il/2013/32981-46491-EN/MediaRoom.aspx, title=IAI is developing the AMOS-E Satellite, publisher=Israel Aerospace Industries, date=2015-10-12, access-date=2016-07-26 {{cite web, url=http://spacenews.com/israel-aerospace-industries-sharpens-its-satellite-export-focus/, title=Israel Aerospace Industries Sharpens its Satellite Export Focus , last=de Selding, first=Peter B., publisher=SpaceNews, date=2015-10-15, access-date=2016-07-26 {{cite web, url=http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/IAI_to_launch_new_5-ton_AMOS_satellite_999.html, title=IAI to launch new 5-ton AMOS satellite, publisher=Space Daily , date=2012-07-16, access-date=2016-07-26

External links

IAI site on the AMOS satellites
Satellite buses * Communications satellites Satellites of Israel