AMOS-3 (satellite)

Spacecom Satellite Communications has signed an agreement in September 2005 with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to buy its third satellite, AMOS-3, from the Israeli defense contractor.

The satellite is powered by twin solar panels, and is based on the Israeli AMOS Bus. It replaced AMOS-1 in geosynchronous orbit at 4° West. AMOS-3 carries fourteen Ku-band / Ka-band transponders, and is expected to have an on-orbit lifetime of 18 years. By March 2026 the satellite was still at 4 degrees west but was spotted in inclined orbit and had reached the end of its lifespan. Most services operating through it have already been transferred to a newer satellite at the same orbital position.

In mid April 2026 Amos has started moving across the GEO belt and has reached it's new location, at 78E, in late August 2026.

It was launched atop the maiden flight of the Zenit-3SLB launch vehicle, the first launch contracted by the Land Launch organisation. The launch was originally scheduled to occur in 2007, and later March 2008, however this was delayed until 24 April 2008. The launch attempt on 24 April 2008 was scrubbed for "technical reasons". This was later determined to be a problem with the erector/transporter system, which had failed to retract and move away from the launch vehicle. AMOS-3 lifted-off from Site 45/1 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 05:00:00 UTC on 28 April 2008.