Amos 5 satellite @ 17 degrees East Mysteriously Vanishes

On November 21st it is believed that Amos satellite vanished from the sky and has yet to be traced.  “Services on AMOS-5 are currently unavailable” is what the Amos 5 spacecom website says. Satellite fleet operator Spacecom of Israel on Nov. 22 said its Amos-5 telecommunications satellite had abruptly ceased functioning and that attempts to restore normal services had failed.

Tel Aviv-based Spacecom said it was working “around the clock” to restore service to customers, including television and telecommunications companies in a broad swath of Africa.

“There are several options for transferring customers and we are closely working with customers vis a vis other satellite operators to ensure minimal interruption,” the company said. “Spacecom is being completely transparent with our clients. We are working to find solutions for each and every client.” – See more at: http://spacenews.com/spacecom-stock-tumbles-following-amos-5-failure/

But 24 hours after the event, the company said it still had “no information on the nature of the incident” or whether the loss was definitive. Amos 5 hosted Continental TV as well as TING from Tanzania. This is what these two companies posted on their Facebook pages (Sorry if you cant read Swahili).

Wapenzi wateja wa Continental Decoder. Tunaomba radhi kwa kutokuwepo hewani. Satellite tunayotumia ya KU Amos 5  imekuwa haipo hewani dunia kote. Tunaomba radhi kwani tatizo liko nje ya uwezo wetu. Tutarudi hewani pindi tatizo hili likirekebishwa.

From TING: Taarifa Kuhusu Amos 5 Satellite Kutoka Israel:

Leo Wataalam Kutoka Israel Wa Amos 5 Satellite Wametangaza Kwamba Satellite Imepotea! Kwahiyo Wanataka Tuhame Katika Satellite Ingeni. Tumesikitika Sana Sana Na Pia Kwa Wateja Wetu Wa Thamani, Hakuna Jinsi. Tunaomba Radhi, Ni Nje Ya Uwezo Wetu. Mazungumzo Na Satellite Ingeni Yanaendelea. Ting Tuta Tangaza Rasmi Satellite Mpya Na Freq. Kwa Wale Wote Ambao Wanaelewa Mambo Ya Satellite Nk. Na Wametupa Pole, Ahsanteni. Tuombe Turudi Hewani Haraka.

Pia Kwa Wateja Wote Ambao Wamelipa Kifurushi Chao, Tutarudisha Kwa Siku Ambazo Hatuko Hewani.
Ting Tunajali..wateja Wetu…tafadhali Vuta Subira Kidogo. Mungu Awabariki.

Whats interesting is the amount of cool the Tanzanians have in the comments. (I’m just imagining the amount of insults that would be hurled at Dstv if Eutelsat 36B were to fall from the sky.) These guys are even suggesting migrating to either SES5, Eutelsat 7A or Eutelsat 70B.

Whatever move they make, we need our fta channels from Star TV back.