Ofer Doron, director of the space plant at the Israel Defense Forces, in an interview with the Hidan site after the launch: Amos 4 is 3 times larger than its predecessors, and unique technologies were developed for it

In answer to our question, Doron says that Amos 4's technology will be competitive in the world market as well

The Amos 4 satellite that was successfully launched today is the largest satellite built in Israel and contains innovative technologies developed for it. This is what Ofer Doron, the director of a space plant, says in a conversation with the Yedan website following the evening launch of the Israeli satellite from Kazakhstan.

as mentioned The Amos 4 satellite is being launched tonight (Motash 31.8.2013) from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan by the private company Sea Launch. "The satellite was launched at 23:05 when the third stage successfully separated from the second stage about eight and a half minutes after launch. We expect two third stage flares during the night, and around six in the morning the satellite is expected to separate from the launcher and then it will partially deploy its salwar panels and begin testing. Tomorrow around half past seven in the morning we will be able to say how the satellite is doing. Right now everything was fine."

(Update - the CEO of the Aerospace Industry, Yossi Weiss reports from Kazakhstan this morning that the separation was carried out as planned and without any problems and now the testing phase has begun and a slow and gradual flight of Amos 4 to its designated route over the Indian Ocean.)

"The Amos 4 satellite is an amazing satellite" adds Doron. "This is the largest satellite built in Israel. It is very impressive, very sophisticated and contains many, many antennas, control systems, propulsion and an extraordinary body. Hundreds of people worked on it for six years. We hosted the workers and their families here today for a launch event and it was heartwarming. The best people in all professions really participated, it's the most amazing technology there is."

The Science Site: Why did it take so long to build it?
"Indeed, it usually takes 3-4 years to build such a satellite. Amos 6, for example, we build in three years, but there were many things we developed during the process, it is 3 times larger than Amos 2 and Amos 3, and in addition, an earthquake occurred at one of the subcontractors in Italy which caused to delay

Referring to the new point in the sky to which Amos 4 will be directed, Doron says: the satellite will be placed over the Indian Ocean at 65 degrees East and will provide service from Western Europe to Asia and Australia and since the antennas can be moved, (that is, they can be driven to different areas and they are not fixed like most communication satellites), The space company will be able to have flexibility in accessing customers in different places in the Far East and expand its coverage. Thanks to Amos 4, the space company will be able to provide service from the eastern United States to eastern Asia.

What about expanding to additional clients, apart from communication space?
We very much hope to expand our customer base. We did this with the Tahit satellites - we sold a satellite to Italy which is a very impressive achievement and we think that with a satellite based on Amos 4 there is a chance to expand our markets beyond a space company.

To the photo gallery before the launch