Israel’s AMOS 2 telecommunications satellite was successfully placed into geostationary transfer orbit Dec. 28 aboard a Soyuz/Fregat rocket launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch services were jointly provided by Arianespace and Starsem.

The 1,374-kilogram (3,029-pound) AMOS 2 was designed and built by Israel Aircraft Industries, and is equipped with a payload of Ku-band transponders for direct-to-home video broadcasting, Internet and data transmissions. To be co-located at an orbital position of 4 degrees West Longitude along with the AMOS 1 spacecraft, AMOS 2 will provide Israeli telecommunications operator Spacecom with additional relay capacity over Europe, the Middle East and the U.S. East Coast.