JERUSALEM, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli government approved on Monday the development and construction of the Amos 8 communications satellite, two years after the previous Amos 6 satellite exploded on the launching pad in Florida.
The Israeli space industry suffered a serious crisis following the explosion of Amos 6 and the loss of contact with Amos 5 in November 2015.
In March, Israeli satellite operator Spacecom announced that its next satellite would be manufactured by California-based Loral company.
Israel Aerospace Industries, the producer of most of the satellites in the Amos series, also warned against a serious blow to the country's space industry.
