AMOS-17

Spacecom received this launch free of charge from SpaceX as compensation for the loss of AMOS-6 in the September 2016 pad explosion. The satellite, built by Boeing on the BSS-702MP bus, carries C-, Ka-, and Ku-band transponders focused on sub-Saharan Africa broadband and broadcast coverage. With no launch cost to absorb, Spacecom accepted the booster expended — foregoing a recovery attempt in exchange for a more energetic trajectory to geostationary transfer orbit.

SpaceX's net-equipped recovery vessel Ms. Tree caught one fairing half on descent, the second successful net catch in the fairing recovery program after the first on STP-2 six weeks earlier.