Contact Lost with Israeli Communication Satellite Amos 5

Contact has been lost with communications satellite Amos 5, starting at 6: 45 AM Saturday, its operator, Spacecom, announced in a statement Saturday evening. "The Company wishes to clarify, based on the preliminary examinations it carried out, that even if there will be a 'total loss' (complete failure) of the satellite, this would have a negligible effect on the equity of the company," Spacecom stated.

The Amos 5 satellite was built by Russian manufacturer NPO PM. The four earlier satellites in the Amos series were built by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

Amos 5 is an Israeli commercial communication satellite, and was last positioned at the 17° East longitude in the geostationary belt. It was launched on December 11, 2011, from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Amos 5 provided coverage over the continent of Africa, as well as Europe and the Middle East.