Space Communication Ltd.
TypePublic
TASE: SCC
IndustryCommunications
Founded1993 (1993)
Headquarters
Ramat Gan Edit this on Wikidata
,
Israel Edit this on Wikidata
RevenueNIS 513.226 million (2017) [1]
NIS 46.7 million (2017) [1]
NIS 94.2 million (2017) [1]
Total equityNIS 826.9 million (2017) [1]
ParentEurocom Group
Websitehttps://www.amos-spacecom.com/

Spacecom, or Space Communication (Hebrew: חלל תקשורת), 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° West – AMOS-3 and AMOS-7, one satellite at orbital position 65° East – AMOS-4, and one satellite at orbital position 17° East – AMOS-5.

History

Spacecom was established in 1993 with the defined goal of marketing AMOS-1, a newly built communication satellite manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). In 2003, Spacecom launched its second satellite, AMOS-2, owned entirely by the company. In 2008, the AMOS-3 satellite was launched to replace AMOS-1 and increase coverage and traffic abilities.[2]

Until 2005, Spacecom was a private company controlled by four companies, including IAI and Eurocom Group. It went public on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in 2005.[3][4][5]

In August 2016, Spacecom shareholders agreed to sell the company for US$500 million to Beijing Xinwei Technology Group (China) via a Luxembourg business entity.[6] The deal, announced 24 August 2016, was pending the successful entry into service of AMOS-6 after the launch.[7] On 1 September 2016, two days before the scheduled launch date, the satellite was destroyed during the run-up to a static fire test of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Later statements from both companies stated that negotiations were ongoing, but that the purchase price was likely to be reduced.[8][9] However, by April 2017 talks between Spacecom and Xinwei had failed, and Spacecom began a new search for buyers.[10] In October 2021 Spacecom and 4iG Plc., a Hungarian information technology and telecommunications company, signed an agreement in which 4iG is acquiring a majority stake (51%) in Spacecom.[11]

Coverage

Spacecom satellites provide coverage to most of the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Services

Fleet

Former

  • AMOS-1
  • AMOS-2 (4° West)
  • AMOS-5 (17° East) – Israeli satellite launched from Kazakhstan in 2011 by Russia's Proton-M launch vehicle to provide services to customers in Africa.[12][13] AMOS-5 initiated commercial operations in early 2012 with C-band and Ku-band beams.[14] On 21 November 2015, all communications with the AMOS-5 satellite were lost.[15]

In orbit

  • AMOS-3 (4° West)
  • AMOS-4 (65° East) – was successfully launched on 31 August 2013 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. It will offer coverage across Southeast Asia along with high power coverage beams offering communication links from East Asia to the Middle East.
  • AMOS-7 (4° West) – Lease of AsiaSat 8
Name Bus Payload Order Launch Launch Vehicle Launch Result Launch Weight Status Remarks
AMOS-1AMOS7 Ku-band—16 May 1996Ariane 44LSuccess961 kg (2,119 lb)—Launched along Palapa-C2. Sold in 2009 to Intelsat as Intelsat 24.[16]
AMOS-2AMOS22 Ku-band—17 December 2003Soyuz-FGSuccess1,370 kg (3,020 lb)Failed on orbit[17] Reached end of life on 2 April 2017.[18]
AMOS-3AMOS15 Ku-band and Ka-bandSeptember 200528 April 2008Zenit-3SLBSuccess1,250 kg (2,760 lb)—Straight GEO launch.[19]
AMOS-5Ekspress-1000H18 C-band and 16 Ku-band—2011-12-11Proton-M / Briz-MSuccess1,972 kg (4,348 lb)Failed on orbitLaunched along Luch 5A. Failed on 21 November 2015.[20]
AMOS-4AMOS 40008 Ku-band and 4 Ka-band—31 August 2013Zenit-3SLBSuccess4,250 kg (9,370 lb)—[21]
AMOS-6AMOS 40002 S-band, 43 Ku-band and Ka-band20123 September 2016Falcon 9 Full ThrustDestroyed before launch [22]5,500 kg (12,100 lb)—Electric propulsion for station keeping.[23]
AMOS-7 SSL-1300 24 Ku-band, 1 Ka-band — 5 August 2014 Falcon 9 (Launched for AsiaSat) 4,535 kg (9,998 lb) — Four-year lease of AsiaSat 8.[24]
AMOS-17 BSS-702MP Ka-band, Ku-band, C-band 2016 6 August 2019 Falcon 9 Success 6,500 kg (14,300 lb) — Deployed with a free launch due to the loss of AMOS-6.[25]
AMOS-8 AMOS 4000 39 Ku-band, 24 Ka-band, 2 S-band 2018 planned 2020 Falcon 9 Cancelled 5,250 kg (11,570 lb) — Spacecom selected SSL to build satellite, based on SSL-1300 bus. AMOS-6 replacement. This order was eventually cancelled.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Space Communication Ltd. – Profile, Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  2. ↑ Campbell, Susan J. (7 November 2011). "Spacecom Seeks to Dominate Satellite Communications Industry with AMOS Line". TCMnet.com. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  3. ↑ "Spacecom: Amos 2 will reach full capacity by year-end". Globes. 22 March 2004. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  4. ↑ חלל תקשורת סיימה בהצלחה את השלב המוסדי בהנפקה. Globes (in Hebrew). 21 December 2005. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  5. ↑ Donald H. Martin; Paul Robert Anderson; Lucy Bartamian (2007). Communication Satellites (5th ed.). Aerospace Press. p. 581. ISBN 978-1-884989-19-3. Retrieved 12 December 2011. Prior to March 2005 Spacecom had been a privately held company.
  6. ↑ "Chinese group to buy Israel's Spacecom satellite operator for $500 million". 24 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  7. ↑ "Falcon 9 explosion could have ripple effects across space industry". 1 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  8. ↑ "Beijing Xinwei still in talks to buy Spacecom but for a reduced price". Reuters. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  9. ↑ Henry, Caleb (7 December 2016). "Spacecom says acquisition talks with Beijing group are still ongoing". SpaceNews. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  10. ↑ Henry, Caleb (24 April 2017). "Spacecom back on the market after Xinwei talks fizzle out". SpaceNews. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  11. ↑ "Hungary's 4iG Telecom Group Acquires Control of Spacecom at Valuation of over USD 124 Million – Spacecom – AMOS Satellites, Communication and More".
  12. ↑ Bergin, Chris (11 December 2011). "Russian Proton M launches Luch-5A and AMOS-5 satellites". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  13. ↑ "Spacecom's Amos-5 communications satellite begins operations". Globes. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  14. ↑ Briel, Robert (1 February 2012). "SatLink launches Amos-5 platforms". Broadband TV News. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  15. ↑ "Contact Lost With Israeli Communication Satellite Amos-".
  16. ↑ "AMOS 1 → Intelsat 24". Gunter's Space Page. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  17. ↑ "AMOS-2". Gunter's Space Page. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  18. ↑ End of the road for AMOS-2
  19. ↑ "AMOS 3 (AMOS 60)". Gunter's Space Page. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  20. ↑ "AMOS 5". Gunter's Space Page. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  21. ↑ "AMOS 4". Gunter's Space Page. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  22. ↑ Malik, Tariq (1 September 2016). "SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Explodes on Launch Pad in Florida". SPACE.com. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  23. ↑ "AMOS 6". Gunter's Space Page. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  24. ↑ Spacecom begins service with a borrowed satellite rebranded Amos-7
  25. ↑ "SpaceX successfully launches twice-flown Falcon 9, catches fairing at sea". Retrieved 6 August 2019.
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