SpaceX successfully launches Amos-17

Spacecom: This is most advanced satellite to provide communications services to sub-Saharan Africa

SpaceX successfully launched Israeli communications satellite Amos-17 into orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Tuesday night, promising increased Internet connectivity for sub-Saharan Africa once operational.

Manufactured by Boeing Satellite Systems International, Ramat Gan-based Spacecom’s Amos-17 satellite soared into the Florida sky at 2:23 a.m. Israel time on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle, en route to its 17°E orbital position over central Africa.

The satellite separated from the launcher’s second stage 33 minutes after ignition as planned, and is in constant contact with its ground station.

Amos-17 will commence a sequence of in-orbit tests in the coming weeks, expected to take approximately three months, prior to beginning commercial operations.

“Amos-17 places us directly into the exciting growth of Africa’s sub-Saharan vibrant markets,” said Spacecom CEO and president David Pollack following the launch.

“As a leading multiregional satellite operator, Spacecom is introducing the most technologically advanced satellite with HTS beams to service Africa, where Amos-17 will deliver a large selection of services to a variety of broadcast, broadband and telecom clients.”

The 6.5-ton, high-power HTS satellite, the company says, will provide extensive C-band HTS, Ka-band and Ku-band capabilities to meet Africa’s fast-growing communications demands. It will offer increased connectivity between Africa, the Middle East, India, China and as far west as Brazil.

“A proud morning, with the news of the successful launch of the Amos 17 satellite,” President Reuven Rivlin wrote on Twitter. “Thank you and congratulations to our friends at @ AMOSSpacecom and @SpaceX for their important work on behalf of the State of Israel.”

The launch of Amos-17 was initially scheduled for Sunday evening (local time), but postponed after a “suspect valve” was identified in one of the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle’s engines. After additional tests of the launch site were successfully carried out, the rearranged satellite launch was executed without fault.