EMCORE Corporation has been awarded a solar panel manufacturing contract by ATK for the AMOS-6 commercial telecommunications satellite planned for launch in early 2015. Solar panels populated with EMCORE's most advanced ZTJ triple-junction solar cells will power the AMOS-6 spacecraft manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

AMOS-6, operated by Spacecom, is to be co-located at the 4degreesW orbital position with AMOS-2 and AMOS-3. It will provide steerable Ku-band with Pan-European and Middle East coverage, and a Ka-band beam for broadband services in Africa and Europe. The AMOS satellite fleet, beginning with the AMOS-1 in 1996, provides broadcasting and communications services to DTH (Direct-To-Home) television operators, TV broadcasters and programmers, government and corporate organizations, and VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) network operators.

"We are excited about this opportunity to adapt our space-proven modular PUMA array, from GPS IIF and Orbital's Star2 GEO line, to provide power to IAI's AMOS-6 satellite for Spacecom," said Dave Messner, Vice President and General Manager of ATK Deployables business in Goleta, CA. "We look forward to delivering over 10kW of end-of-life power using EMCORE's solar cell technology to enable another successful satellite mission."

"This is an important award for EMCORE. The manufacture of the AMOS-6 solar panels will reinforce our heritage in the telecom satellite business and allow us to pursue future opportunities in that market," said Brad Clevenger, General Manager of EMCORE's Photovoltaics Division. "EMCORE greatly values our long-standing business relationship with ATK, and we are extremely honored to receive this award. We look forward to working with ATK on the AMOS-6 mission."