Israel Aircraft Industries reports that it is completing assembly of the nation's second Amos communications satellite, scheduled for launch early in 2002. Amos 2 will be carried in a dual-satellite launch using either an Ariane 4 or 5. The company says that the 1,350kg (3,000lb) satellite will be used by customer Spacecom to provide communications services to the Middle East, Central Europe and direct internet services through a direct link on the East coast of the USA. Amos 2 will be co-located in geostationary orbit with its predecessor, Amos 1.
Meanwhile, the Eros 1 commercial remote sensing satellite built by IAI for the ImageSat International consortium is to be followed by further Eros models, the company says. Eros 2, now under construction, will provide an improved resolution of 1m (3.3ft), matching the capability of the Space Imaging Ikonos satellite, which was the first commercial remote sensing satellite to be launched.
Source: Flight Daily News
