Israel Successfully Launches Ofek-16 Spy Satellite - Defense Ministry

Israel Successfully Launches Ofek-16 Spy Satellite - Defense Ministry

Israel successfully launched on Monday an intelligence satellite into space from the Palmachim air military base, the Defense Ministry has announced

TEL AVIV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th July, 2020) Israel successfully launched on Monday an intelligence satellite into space from the Palmachim air military base, the Defense Ministry has announced.

"The Space Administration in the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), of the Israel Ministry of Defense and Israel Aerospace Industries [IAI], have successfully launched the 'Ofek 16' reconnaissance satellite into space, today at 4:00 AM [01:00 GMT]," the ministry wrote on Twitter.

The satellite was launched from the Palmachim spaceport in central Israel, operated by Israel's Space Agency and the Air Force. At the time of launch, all flights over the country's center were transferred to northern routes.

The spacecraft is operating as expected and sends a stable signal, Shlomi Sudri, the general manager of the state-run IAI's space division, said at a press conference. According to Sudri, the first satellite pictures will be received in about a week.

"The successful launch of the 'Ofek-16' satellite is another outstanding achievement of the defense industry, as a whole, and aerospace applications, in particular.

The technological superiority and intelligence capabilities of the State of Israel are a cornerstone of its security," Defense Minister Benny Gantz wrote on Twitter.

During the initial period of operation, the electro-optical vehicle will undergo a series of checks "to determine its propriety and performance level," the ministry added.

The satellite, developed by the Defense Ministry in cooperation with IAI, will work with a number of aircraft that Israel has previously launched. The first Ofek satellite was put into operation in 1988, and the most recent one in September 2016.

As of today, Israel is one of the world's 13 countries that has such aerospace capabilities, along with Russia, the United States, Italy, France, Japan, India, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, China, Iran, and North and South Korea.