IAI Wins Int’l Tender for Amos 6 Satellite

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is pleased to announce its selection in an international tender as the supplier for the development and production of the "Amos 6" communication satellite. The contract with Space Communication will total about 200 million US dollars including the building of the satellite ground control station and operating services for its life (projected at 16 years). Joseph Weiss, IAI's appointed President & CEO said that, "The "Amos 6" communications satellite will incorporate new technologies that represent a significant leap forward in the capabilities of IAI and the State of Israel in space." Amos 6 is planned to replace the Amos 2 satellite in the 4 degrees West orbital slot. The Amos 6 satellite will have the capability to provide communication services that are significantly greater than those of the Amos 2 satellite, which was also produced by IAI. In light of development and production of previous satellites and in order to improve the competitiveness of its proposal, IAI has implemented improvements in the engineering and production processes of communication satellites. Joseph Weiss, IAI's appointed President & CEO, who personally managed the contractual negotiations over the last weeks, said that "under the Amos 6 program various components and assemblies that will be developed in IAI will constitute an additional step toward achieving independence in the development and production of communication satellites, as IAI currently enjoys in the field of observation satellites. Besides IAI, the Israel Space Agency (under the Ministry of Science) will also participate in the funding of these activities."