Israel successfully launched the spy satellite on Wednesday Ofek-13 into space, a much more advanced model that will offer the Army Israeli images of better quality, reported the Ministry of Defence.
“The satellite successfully entered orbit, began transmitting data, and completed an initial series of inspections in accordance with original launch plans”; said the defense minister Yoav Gallant, who remains in office despite the fact that the prime minister Netanyahu He will notify you of his resignation on Sunday.
This Thursday, the technological device began transmitting data after completing “a series of initial inspections.”
The Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement that the ‘Ofek 13’ “was developed based on the experience of the defense sector and the Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) in the production of previous satellites of the ‘Ofek’ series”, launched from 1988.
According to Gallant, this launch, fired by the Shavit vehicle at 02:10 local time (23:10 GMT on Tuesday) at the Palmachim spaceport and airbase, is “yet another important example of the revolutionary innovation of the Israeli defense system.”
“Israel has already demonstrated its various space capabilities many times and is one of the few countries to possess such capabilities, capabilities that we continue to develop and strengthen,” added Gallant, who attended the launch along with other senior military officials.
The development and production of the satellite were led by the Ministry of Defense’s Satellite and Space Administration, a process that involved various bodies of the Israeli Army, including Visual Intelligence Unit 9900 and the Air Force.
Israel Aerospace Industries was the main contractor involved in the project, while Israeli state-owned defense companies Rafael and Tomer produced the launch engines.
Israel launched its first satellite, Ofek-1, into spaceor in 1988, and seven years later, in 1995sent into space another reconnaissance satellite capable of photographing the Earth.
Ofek-16 launched into space in July 2020 and won Israel’s top security award last year.
(With information from EFE and Europa Press)
Reference-aristeguinoticias.com
