A report from the live broadcast of the launch at Tel Aviv University, as well as several reports from the following days about the progress of the ignitions and the satellite's arrival in space - reports from December 28, 2003 to January 2, 2004
28.12.2003
By: Avi Blizovsky, editor of the site of the science from the ceremony at Tel Aviv University
Monday update, 01:20 The news agencies are reporting from Baikonur
(The first update from 00:10 - later on this page)
A 4-stage Soyuz-Friat rocket that took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 02:30 on Sunday (21:30 GMT, 23:30 Israel time) is scheduled to place the Israeli satellite Amos-2 in orbit after seven hours.
The satellite was built on the basis of the Israeli aerospace industry and is operated by the private company Halal, it weighs 1,370 kilograms and will increase the capacity of Halal in the Middle East, Europe and the East Coast of the USA.
The launch carried out by the Russian-European consortium Starsem was originally planned for the Ariane launcher supplied by the French company Ariane, but was transferred to the Russian Soyuz for technical reasons. Ariane owns 15 percent of Starsem and the two companies have developed a very close working relationship.
Yossi Weiss, director of the space division of the aerospace industry, said before the launch that he was satisfied with the arrangements, and said that the operation would give the aerospace industry a boost in the small satellite market.
Amos 2 will be placed in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 4 degrees West, near the Israeli communications satellite, Amos 1, which was launched by Ariane in 1996.
Amos satellites have a lifespan of 12 years and the marketing director of Chall, Yaakov Keret, said that they are already starting to plan a third satellite to replace Amos 1 in 2008.
Apart from the MAZAT, Haalel Communications will supply cable companies and other communication providers in Eastern and Central European countries and recently signed a contract with a cable provider for 2 million homes in Germany.
Ariane, founded in 1980, is the leader in the field of satellite launches to geostationary orbits, with over 160 launches, and which signed eight new contracts this year. The company's spokesperson said. On the other hand, the Amos 2 launch is only the 12th launch of Starsem since it began marketing and operating Soyuz launchers in 1996 (and the first for a geostationary orbit, said the company's director of operations, Victor Nikolaev, at a press conference about two weeks ago in Tel Aviv, Israel).
The Russian space agency, Russkykosmos, owns a quarter of the shares of Starsem, as well as the largest Russian company that serves as a subcontractor for space affairs Samara Space Center, and 35 percent is held by the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS), which includes corporations from France, Germany and Spain.
Starsem's program manager, François Biroux, commented that French-Russian cooperation in space launches is developing and fruitful. In the future, the Venus Express spacecraft will be launched using it in November 2005 and the first in a series of Metup satellites - European weather satellites, in the same year.
As mentioned, as Nikolayev said in response to the question of "Hidan", Soyuz rockets will be launched starting in 2006 from French Guiana.
The Baikonur Space Center is leased under a 1994 agreement by Russia and is the main base for Russian launches - from which all manned launches are carried out as well as the launches of supply spacecraft to the International Space Station.
First update, 00:10 - report from the ceremony at Tel Aviv University
The Amos 2 satellite was successfully launched tonight from the space center (cosmodrome) in Baikonur. The satellite was ignited at exactly 23:30 Israel time.
At the event that took place in the Smolarch Auditorium at Tel Aviv University and which ended a little over an hour ago, the launch was shown on a huge screen and crowned as a smooth launch.
With the successful launch of the satellite, three years of planning, production and preparation of Amos 2 by the Space Communications Company and the Aerospace Industry will end. Within a few weeks, the satellite will be placed in its final position next to the Amos 1 satellite, the acceptance tests in orbit will be completed and the commercial activity will begin to provide broadcasting and communication services throughout the 12 years of its mission.
The event was attended by Minister of Industry, Trade and Communications Ehud Olmert, Chairman of the Opposition MK Shimon Peres, Minister of Education Limor Livnat, Speaker of the Knesset Ruby Rivlin, former Minister of Defense MK Fuad Ben-Eliezer, other members of the Knesset, heads of the business sector and Israeli and international customers of H.L. Communication, which operates the satellite.
Prime Minister and Minister of Communications Ehud Olmert, who watched the launch of the satellite from the center at Tel Aviv University, noted that launching Amos 2 into space is another step that places Israel at the forefront of high-tech and communications in the world.
According to the minister, there are few countries in the world that have the ability to design, manufacture and launch communication satellites into space. The shiglobe of Halal-Communications, which is a commercial business company and the aerospace industry, is a combination that emphasizes Israel's uniqueness in the field of communication and technology and positions it in the first row in this field in the world.
Olmert added that the Israeli government sees great importance in the further development of the space industry in general and the launching and operation of Israeli communication satellites.
The CEO of Halal Kommunikation, David Polak, noted that Amos 2's ability to connect North America, Europe and the Middle East with high quality opens the door to new and fascinating fields of activity. We expect high revenues from the export of satellite communication services in Amos 2, as a basis for the development of the next "Amoss".
We will bring you more details about the event and from it in the next update of the website, on Sunday evening. I would just like to point out that the coming night is critical for the satellite, when the fourth stage of the Soyuz-Frigate rocket is ignited three times and will bring it to a transit orbit whose far end is at an altitude of 36 kilometers and its closest end to Earth is 4,400 kilometers.
After that, the satellite will arrive on its own at a trajectory whose lower end will rise from time to time thanks to a series of ignitions at critical points that will be carried out by the control center of the air industry in Yehud.
Amnon Barzilai, Haaretz, reports in Walla! news: "The Israeli communication satellite "Amos 2" was launched tonight on the back of the Russian satellite launcher "Soyuz", from the launch site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Amos 2 is the second generation of communication satellites that are produced in the "Mabat" systems of the Aerospace Industry. Its weight is about 1.4 tons.
The satellite will provide satellite communication services, and 70% of its capacity has been sold to cable companies in Israel and Europe. It is capable of transmitting satellite transmissions to the Gulf countries as well, and following the war in Iraq, the "H.L.L." company, which owns the satellite, is considering contacting the American government, the United Nations, and companies in the United States and offering them to use Amos 2 services for Iraq.
The launch of the satellite was delayed for almost a year, due to faults in its production, and faults discovered in the French satellite launcher "Ariane 5", which was initially intended to launch Amos 2. In the next four years, two Israeli communication satellites will function from space. "Amos 1" is expected to end its life in 2008, and the H.L.L. plans to start raising funds to finance the development and production of "Amos 3", which will be two or three times larger than the first model.
28.12.2003
By: Avi Blizovsky
Broadcasting "Amos 2", tonight: Photo: Channel 1
Update 09:00 - The control center in Yehud received command of Amos 2
Yossi Elitov and Liat Regev interviewed Yitzhak Nissen, manager of the Space Missile Evaluation Division at the Mabat Bihud plant, this morning on the program "An Other Matter".
"The satellite came under our control. It is at a high altitude of 36 thousand kilometers, and we here at the ground station visit the entire process of opening the solar panels, the electronic systems, the antennas and begin to activate the satellite and drive it to its service area.
The supervision in Kazakhstan was in the launch section and putting the satellite into orbit. There were four stages during the launch and telemetry during the launch was only for them. Right now the station is actually monitoring the satellite, activating all the systems and making sure all the systems are functioning correctly. We went through several stages: we opened the antennas, we opened solar panels, we bought the sun."
A critical part of the process is removing the antennas and pointing them towards the sun in order for us to start collecting energy from the sun. If we did not manage to pass this stage, the satellite would fade and would not have the energy required for its communication payload.
In response to the interviewers' question what it means to the small citizen in Israel, Nisanov answered:
This stabilizes the aerospace industry in the National Space League. We already have several satellites, we have Amos 1 and observation satellites. Putting Amos 2 into orbit proves that we already have a tradition in space and that we are part of the exclusive club of those several countries that have the same capabilities - both in launching and building satellites. It has a very high economic significance, with everything that goes with it.
Where is the satellite?
(as of 08:20) "The satellite is above Australia at an altitude of 36 thousand kilometers. Tomorrow morning we will have to start the APM engine on the satellite for the first time. The purpose of this engine is to give the satellite an additional push towards its circular orbit. At the moment its route is not symmetrical - on one side it is 4,000 kilometers and on the other side 36 thousand kilometers. We will have to round the route."
"Kazakhstan's part is over, the Starsem company managed to inject the satellite into space to the agreed point and currently the activity is only from the satellite. The launcher is already gone and sunk. The control of the satellite is done from our ground station here. We have antennas.”
We will offer through a space company a variety of additional services that are carried out by satellite communication. The loaded satellite has been in space for 7-8 years and all its sensors are full. Amos 2 came to increase the capacity of the satellite broadcasts. We could give Yes Company dozens more channels, and also the Broadcasting Authority - since we were at full capacity, we had to transfer some of the channels to nearby satellites. Now we can return them to Amos 2. In addition we can receive and transmit from the east coast of the USA. The coverage of the beam in the Middle East and Central Europe will be much more extensive than Amos 1 - this means that we will be able to provide service to many stations and users, not necessarily television.
Now there are five more critical days. Tomorrow morning there will be another critical step - starting the engine. Until then I do not foresee any dramatic event. In five to seven days, the ground station at the Air Industry, in Bemet-Yehud will put it in 4 West, the same direction as Amos 1. This is a slow and careful process, since we need to place Amos 2 only 4 kilometers away from Amos 1 and then both will be in the same direction Because it will be possible to use the same antennas in both Amos 1 and Amos 2.
Zion Shigav, head of the Amos 2 project in Baikonur. The entire team here is packing and galloping for the planes to return to Israel. We had a stormy night without sleep, minus 9 degrees, cold outside. There were 6-7 critical stages in the launcher.
The most critical moment for me - there were four critical moments when we were in the field itself in the cold of minus nine, when the stages of the launcher itself separated. The most critical moment for me was precisely when we were sitting in the hotel in the control room and we heard from Yehud that the antenna was successfully deployed and the panels were successfully deployed. These are very critical processes and there are very delicate mechanisms, and this guarantees the communication and the electricity supply to the satellite for its entire life.
There was a critical moment and there was an outburst of tremendous emotions, hugs and tears. There is a team of nine people who worked for nine weeks, integration people who are responsible for the integration of all the parts and connecting the satellite to the missiles. In addition, there are a number of other experts and a plant manager from Yossi Weiss's daughter is also here.
Amos 2 sent a first signal around six in the morning
07: 00 Update
The "Amos 2" satellite, which was successfully launched at midnight, sent its first signal about an hour ago. This is what the "Voice of Israel" reported this morning. The Voice of Israel messenger, Yair Weinrev, reported in the morning journal, a few minutes before seven o'clock, that around eight o'clock the satellite should reach its maximum height for the first time - 36 thousand kilometers, and that the control room in Baikonur reports that so far everything is working as planned.
The first signal was received this morning from the "Amos 2" satellite
The Israeli communication satellite was successfully launched last night from Kazakhstan, aboard the Russian "Soyuz" launcher, after a delay of almost a year due to malfunctions
The satellite at the top of the launcher on the launch pad, before its launch
Haaretz reports: "The first signal was received this morning (Sunday) at approximately 6:00 a.m., from the Israeli communication satellite "Amos 2", which was launched into space last night at 23:30 p.m. The satellite took off on the back of the Russian "Soyuz" satellite launcher, from the launch site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. In the coming week it will make its way until it reaches its final height - 36 thousand km. Amos 2 is the second generation of communication satellites that are produced in the "Mabat" systems of the Aerospace Industry. Its weight is about 1.4 tons.
The Israeli communication satellite "Amos 2" began to orbit the earth
Amnon Barzilai, Haaretz (Walla News!): The Israeli communication satellite "Amos 2" was successfully launched at 11:XNUMX last night. The satellite took off on the back of the Russian Soyuz satellite launcher from the launch site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
The satellite is a second generation of Israeli communication satellites, produced in the "Mabat" missile and systems division of the Aerospace Industry. The weight of the satellite is about 1.4 tons, and it will hover, like all communication satellites, at an altitude of 36 thousand km. The journey of the "Soyuz" satellite launcher, which carries the Israeli satellite to its position in space, will last two days. "Amos 2" provides satellite communication services, and 70% of its capacity has been sold to cable companies in Israel and Europe.
"Amos 2" is able to transmit satellite transmissions to three regions: the Middle East, including the Gulf states and Iraq, Europe and the East Coast of the USA. Among the customers who signed a contract to receive service from the satellite are the Israeli government, the "Yes" company, the Israeli broadcasting authorities and the "Gilat Satellites" company. Foreign TV stations will also use the satellite, such as RTL from Germany and HBO - the largest pay TV company in the USA.
Following the end of the war in Iraq, the "H.L.L" company, which owns the satellite, is considering contacting the US government, the UN and American commercial companies and offering them the use of "Amos 2" services for transmissions to this area.
With the success of the launch, two Israeli communication satellites from the "Amos" series will operate in space. The "Amos 1" satellite was launched in 1996, and according to the forecast will end its operations in 2008. "Amos 2" broadcasts rely on the infrastructure and reception means built for "Amos 1".
About 2 million dollars were invested in the development of "Amos 130" and its production, some of it by raising capital through the issuance of bonds. According to the CEO of "H.L.L", David Polak, the cost of the satellite consists of the production cost - about 70 million dollars, the launch cost - about 35 million dollars, and the insurance fees - about 25 million dollars.
The Israeli defense establishment has not yet developed a launcher designed for large satellites. The existing launcher, "Comet", launches only small satellites, weighing 400-300 kg. The "Amos 2" satellite was originally planned to be launched, like "Amos 1", using the giant French satellite launcher "Ariane 5".
The original date for the launch was set for the first quarter of 2003. Due to delays, caused according to the French company due to problems in completing the manufacturing work of the satellite, the place intended for the Israeli satellite on the French launcher was given to another party. The aviation industry, the manufacturer of "Amos 2" which is a partner in the HLL company, which owns the satellite, threatened a lawsuit against the "Arian" company for breach of contract. In the compromise reached between the companies, it was agreed that "Amos 2" would be launched on top of the "Soyuz" satellite launcher.
The launcher, which will carry the Israeli satellite to its position in space, is manufactured by the Russian company "STARSEM", which is jointly owned by the companies "Arian", EADS, the Russian Space and Aviation Agency and the Samara Space Center.
According to Polak, after the launch of "Amos 2" the "H.L.L" company will begin raising the necessary capital to build "Amos 3", which will be launched in 2007. The satellite "Amos 3", which will replace "Amos 1", will be larger than its predecessors, will weigh about 2 tons and will cost about 160 million dollars.
The satellite will provide satellite communication services, and 70% of its capacity has been sold to cable companies in Israel and Europe. It is capable of transmitting satellite transmissions to the Gulf countries as well, and following the war in Iraq, the "H.L.L." company, which owns the satellite, is considering contacting the American government, the United Nations, and companies in the United States and offering them to use the services of Amos 2.
The launch of the satellite was delayed for about a year due to faults in its production, and faults discovered in the French satellite launcher "Ariane 5", which was initially intended to launch Amos 2. In the next four years, two Israeli communication satellites will function from space. "Amos 1" is expected to end its life in 2008, and the H.L.L.
plans to start raising funds to finance the development and production of "Amos 3", which will be two or three times larger than the first model. "
Ami Ettinger, Maariv:
"Successfully launched the Israeli communication satellite "Amos 2". The satellite left the launch station in Baikonur, Kazakhstan and is making its way into space. The personnel of the launch station, the Russian-French Ariane, announced that the launch was successful and that everything is working properly."
"The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Communications, Ehud Olmert, said this evening shortly after the launch of the satellite: "It's exciting, I belong to a generation that if you see an operation like this with the Israeli flag over it, it does something to him. Israel is the pioneer and exclusive in this field, and it is an investment of millions of dollars."
"Olmert added: "This puts the State of Israel in terms of capacity at the limit with only six other countries. The State of Israel today serves as a meeting point for the transfer of satellite transmissions between countries thanks to the Amos satellite.
"Amos 2" should be placed at a fixed point in space, at a distance of 36 thousand km from the surface of the earth, not far from the "Amos 1" satellite. He is expected to reach this point in about 16 days. Any antenna that receives the broadcasts from "Amos 1" today, will be able to receive the "Amos 2" broadcasts, without any need to reorient the dish. The uniqueness of "Amos 2" is its high power which allows to receive the broadcasts with a small antenna and in excellent quality.
The satellite should operate for about 12 years. During its years of operation, Amos 2 will provide broadcasting and communication services such as: distribution of television and radio broadcasts directly to viewers' homes, distribution of television and radio broadcasts to cable centers, distribution of Internet services, and data transmission to communication networks.
Customers in Israel, the Middle East, Europe and the USA
The "Amos 2" satellite is actually based on the technology of "Amos 1" which has been around for 7 years, plus improvements and technological developments. The introduced changes are intended to meet additional mission requirements, mainly in the field of frequencies. The "Amos 2" satellite will serve customers in three service areas: Israel and the Middle East, Europe, and the East Coast of the USA.
The launch of "Amos 2" was initially planned for October 2002, after it became clear that "Amos 1" had an oversubscription of applicants to use its services. The HLL company raised an amount of NIS 660 million for its construction and launch in 2002.
Since then the launch has been postponed several times. Initially due to delays in the construction of the satellite at the Mebat plant of the Aerospace Industry and some of its subcontractors. After that, difficulties were discovered in launching it from the Kourou site in French Guinea in cooperation with the French space company Ariane. Finally, it was decided to move the launch to the current site.
Amos 2 in the sky
After three years and an investment of 150 million dollars, the Israeli satellite "Amos 2" was successfully launched yesterday from the launch site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan * within 0 1 days it should reach its final station, and in a month and a half it will already receive and broadcast TV, radio and Internet * the little brother "Amos 3" already in planning
Alon Goldstein is a messenger from Ariv to the space center in Baikonur
The Israeli communication satellite, "Amos 2", was launched yesterday at 23:30 (Israel time), and joined its three brothers, the Israeli satellites already sailing in space - "Amos 1", "Iros" and "Ofek 5". Amos 2 was launched from the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan, in a cold of 10 degrees below zero. From the closest observation point, about a kilometer from the launch site, the impressive trail of fire and smoke left behind by the huge missile was clearly visible, until it disappeared in the layer of fog that had already landed on the frozen prairie yesterday morning. Amos 2 was launched using a Russian Soyuz rocket at the end of which was mounted an afrigate - a launch facility that puts the satellite into orbit, on the way to its permanent station.
* Altitude: 36,000 km
The launch process includes four stages that last about six and a half hours, and it should end today at seven in the morning. During the next ten days, the satellite will stabilize at its final station at an altitude of 36 thousand km, exactly above the equator. If everything goes as planned, in about a month and a half Amos 2 will start receiving and broadcasting TV, radio and Internet channels. The length of the launch rocket is about 42 meters, and its weight, including the satellite, reached 308 tons at launch, more than two-thirds of which was fuel. The weight of the satellite itself is about 1,300 kg, of which about 750 kg is fuel, which will be used to run the engines for its docking at the terminal station and for position corrections over the years.
Yesterday's launch was the 1,684th launch of the Soyuz rocket, which has been used for decades to launch people and satellites - including the first satellite, Sputnik, and a few years later Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. It was also one of the causes of insomnia for good Americans, since the Soviets also used it to carry nuclear arrowheads.
* Can also broadcast to Iraq
The final station of Amos 2 is at point 4 west - four degrees west of the Greenwich line, where its older brother - Amos 1 is located. The two satellites are supposed to be at a distance of a little more than 40 km from each other, zero distance in spatial terms. Amos 1, which was launched in 1996, is supposed to end its life in about six years and its younger brother is expected to survive about 12 years in space. At the Space Communications company that initiated and financed the launch of the satellite and at the aerospace industry that developed and built Amos 2, they are already thinking out loud about the development and launch of the next satellite, Amos 3, which will join its two brothers in the future, exactly at the same point in space. Shigar Amos 2 is a complex project (at a price of 150 million dollars), which lasted about three years and crossed continents. The satellite is the fruit of pure Israeli development, no small reason for national pride, since the number of countries capable of producing satellites is extremely limited.
Amos 2 should cover a larger area than its older brother. The satellite's reception transmission beams extend over Europe, the eastern coast of the United States and the Middle East. Amos 2 can also broadcast to the Iraqi region, and Haal Communication hopes that the day will not be far away when Baghdad will receive broadcasts directly from the Israeli satellite.
Following the launch of Amos 2: the number of active Israeli satellites reaches 5
Israel in space / five Israeli satellites
29.12.2003
By: Amnon Barzilai, Haaretz, Walla!
After the launch of the "Amos 2" communication satellite, five Blue and White satellites will be in space: two communication satellites (Amos 1 and 2), an "Ofek" observation satellite for intelligence, "Eros", a civilian photography satellite also used by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, and the scientific satellite "Texat" built under the supervision of Technion scientists.
The successful launch of "Amos 2" strengthens Israel's position in the exclusive club of the eight countries in the world that are capable of developing and producing satellites and launching them into space. For the State of Israel, this is not just a landmark that teaches about its technological strength. The ability to develop, manufacture and launch satellites has strategic significance at the national and security level. According to the plan, three military photography satellites from the "Ofek" family, three or four civilian photography satellites from the "Eros" family, a civilian communication satellite "Amos 3", and two more military communication satellites will be launched by the end of the decade.
The uniqueness of the Israeli satellite systems is in the ability to miniaturize. The technology developed in Israel makes it possible to build lightweight satellites, without compromising their operational efficiency.
The miniaturization of satellites lowers production costs, and makes it possible to send intelligence satellites into space using Israeli launchers, which are launched from a launch site in Israel.
Vice President of Engineering at Yes Company, Itzik Aliyik was in Kazakhstan and he reports on his experiences, as well as the aspect of Yes Company, the largest customer of the Amos 2 satellite
29.12.2003
By: Avi Blizovsky
Landscape photo from Baikonur
VP of Engineering at Yes Company, Itzik Eliakim, spoke to us from Moscow, where he made a stopover on the way back to Israel. The purpose of the conversation was to know the effect of the successful launch on Yes. But we couldn't resist and asked him to tell a little of his experiences in Baikonur."
"The place is special, it is in the Baikonur area which was the launch center of the Soviet Union and from where many satellites were launched. There are settlements there that at the time were inhabited - a city with 100 thousand inhabitants that was reduced to 20 thousand because of all the changes. There are lots of abandoned buildings and there are edges - advanced missile technology together with neglect of buildings. All in all, the population received us with a beautiful hospitality and there was also an experience here on the eve of the Hanukkah holiday when we lit Hanukkah candles together with a fir tree environment together with French engineers. A special and even symbolic atmosphere - lighting the eighth Hanukkah candle."
The cold was around minus ten degrees, very cold here. The observation point was about a kilometer from the launcher and the intensity of the rocket's combustion is something that lit up the whole environment. This is already the almost 1,700th launch of this type of missile, but the addition of the frigate connecting the satellite and the three-stage missile - this was only the fifth launch. All in all it's an amazing sight.
Half an hour before launch there are balconies that wrap around the rocket to handle it, then they open to a 45 degree angle and the rocket stands on its own with support from below. During the ignition of the engines, the support of the rocket from below opens and releases and the rocket rises up. It's an amazing sight. The amount of light is enormous."
"It can be said that Amos 2 goes live thanks to Yes"
We understood from the words of Zvi Kopelman, head of the communications satellite administration at Mevt-Hell in the aerospace industry, that Yes is one of the main beneficiaries of the successful launch of Amos 2. Can you elaborate?
"Since the Amos 2 satellite has higher strengths than Amos 1, it will allow Yes to expand the satellite capacity, so that it can add a wide variety of channels, programs and interactive services; And in addition, to increase the availability of the system, because the power of the satellite is higher."
What it means?
"In terms of the availability of the artery and the survival of the systems, the higher the power, the better I can receive the broadcast with smaller antennas. Even if the antenna will not be directed well, still in Amos 2, because of the excess power, the system will not sense. These are the advantages we call advantages in the availability of the satellite artery. In addition, the very expansion of the satellite capacity makes it possible to introduce new services, and in fact they create an infrastructure and a possibility for future technologies such as HDTV broadcasts - very high resolution television. These are broadcasts that require a large bandwidth, and expanding the capacity makes it possible to upload such a service with Yes Plus, for example."
Are you the biggest customer of Amos 2?
"You can say that Amos 2 is airing a lot thanks to Yes. When we chose the technological solution, we changed it a lot on blue-white technology. Both our encryption technology is an Israeli technology (NDS) and our video compression technology (the Harmonic company), the billing and collection system and the customer service is from the Israeli company Converges, and the content management system is from the Filat Media company. All in all, Yes contributes to the advancement of technology and the creation of jobs in Israel, both patriotism and pride of blue and white, as well as excellent products. We didn't choose them because they were blue and white, but because they were excellent and good, but it is this closeness between the customer and the supplier that creates a better product for both the customer and the supplier. Everyone enjoys the sacrifice. The technological solution of Yes is based on excellent Israeli technologies, and they are the leading companies in this field in the world. An industry has been created that is an industry of leaders in this field."
Are there any other technological advantages to the new satellite?
"The Amos 2 satellite is generally a much more complex satellite than Amos 1, because it has higher intensities and beams that cover Europe, the East Coast of the United States and the Middle East well. Amos 2, apart from what I said, is also a backup satellite for Amos 1, with commands from the ground, and it will also be a continuation satellite once Amos 1 ends its life. Although malfunctions do not usually occur when the satellite is in orbit, it still provides survivability in terms of transmissions. In addition, their location in space, their proximity, still allows our customers to receive both satellites in the same dishes. The distance between them will range from six to 70 kilometers, but still for viewers on the ground, with Yes plates, they are in the same position in space because of the distance and the opening angle of the antennas."
Half of the State of Israel
At a ceremony held at Tel Aviv University on the occasion of the launch, Amitsur Rosenfeld, the technical director of the Amos 2 project, said in a telephone report from Baikonur, that this is a desert area, completely straight, the size of half the state of Israel. The weather was clear, but the ground was still full of snow. He noted that the area is full of basements where many missiles from the Cold War era are still stored.
Amos 2: The ignition sequence was delayed to save fuel
30.12.2003
By: Avi Blizovsky
The aerospace industry team overseeing the Amos 2 satellite postponed the ignition scheduled for Monday at 06:00. This is what Zvi Kopelman, head of the Communications Satellite Administration at Mevt-Hellal, tells the scientist website.
According to Kopelman, the team estimated that this time was not the optimal time for ignition, and that ignition at this time would be wasteful in terms of fuel consumption.
It should be noted that when the Amos 1 satellite was put into orbit in 1996, the aviation industry people were able to save fuel thanks to the correct timing of the ignitions, which were intended to put the satellite into a more circular and higher orbit each time. This savings made it possible to extend the life of the satellite by another two years, which is worth a lot of money in contracts with the telecommunications companies.
"Amos 2", which was launched on Saturday evening from the missile site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, separated about seven hours after its launch from the Russian "Soyuz" satellite launcher and it moves through inertia in space at a speed of 7000 m per second and completes each revolution in 12 hours.
When it reaches its fixed location in space, the speed of "Amos 2" will be equal to the angular speed of the Earth; So that the satellite will remain, relative to the Earth, hanging in the same place without movement.
During the coming week, the engines of "Amos 2" will be activated several times. In this activity, the satellite's engines will consume about 450 kg of fuel out of the amount of about 750 kg of fuel found in its tanks. The rest of the fuel will be used over the next 12 years to return the satellite to its orbit in the event of a deviation.
Amos 2 - two successful ignitions brought him to a course that brings him closer to his destination
In just two weeks it will reach its destination, further activation of the engines will slow it down to save fuel
2.1.2004
By: Avi Blizovsky
Amos 2 continues the chain of successes. After the successful launch on 27/12/2003 from Kazakhstan, the satellite is slowly making its way to its fixed point - 4 degrees west above the equator. The first ignition of the satellite's engine that took place on Monday, it rose from an elliptical orbit with one end at an altitude of 36 kilometers and its lower end at an altitude of 4,400 kilometers to an orbit where the upper altitude was maintained but its lower end was at an altitude of 22 kilometers. On Wednesday, the satellite's engine was turned on again and it is now in an elliptical orbit between the altitudes of 34 kilometers and 36 kilometers.
This is what Zvi Kopelman, head of the Communications Satellite Administration at Mevt-Hell, reports to the scientist website. The satellite also now orbits the Earth above the equator after the Mabat people corrected its angular inclination or inclination. "Now we have to decide whether to carry out one more ignition or two. We may decide to do two ignitions. We estimate that within two weeks he will reach his destination. Now it takes a satellite 52 hours to orbit the Earth. It will no longer make the coffee but will stop when we reach 4 degrees. We will give him another ignition and stop his rate of progress to save fuel. If you arrive at the final destination at too high a speed, it wastes fuel."
"Everything works like clockwork. All his systems work as standard. We are calm, and are preparing to start testing the communications team when it arrives on the scene. The reason why the MET has not been tested is because we are not allowed to transmit from a place other than the area assigned to us because the transmission may interfere with other satellites. That is why the tests of the communications mast will begin when it reaches its final location."
There is no danger that it will collide with other satellites?
"When he is not at his final height, there is no such danger. It is now 2000 kilometers away from the height of 36 thousand - where all the satellites stand. Until it reaches the point, it will not be at the same height as the other satellites, so there is no danger of it hitting them."
In the meantime, Itzik Alikim, the vice president of technology of the YES company, said during the visit of Minister Ehud Olmert to the YES facilities in Kfar Saba, that the company is about to establish a secondary control center in the Ram Junction as a backup for the site in Kfar Saba. The new center will work only in front of the Amos2 satellite and not in front of both satellites, Amos 1 and Amos 2, as the control center in Kfar Saba is planned to work.
