David Pollak, the chief executive of the Amos-2 satellite's operators Spacecom, told reporters here that it would be launched from the Baikonur space centre in the central Asian republic of Kazakhstan on December 27.

The 150 million dollar Amos-2 will follow in the footsteps of the Amos-1 which was launched in May 1996.

While Amos 1 only covered parts of Europe and the Middle East, its successor will boost coverage to include the east coast of the United States and parts of Canada as well as wider areas of the Middle East including the Gulf and Iran.

The new satellite offers major commercial opportunities as the satellite television market is burgeoning.

Amos-1 is already the platform for satellite stations in countries such as the Ukraine and Bulgaria as well as the Israeli satellite television company

But Pollak said that it would still be a battle to ensure its success.

"The competition is fierce and it will be necessary to be aggressive to succeed."

SPACE.WIRE