The Space Directorate in “DDR&D” the Ministry of Defense's Directorate for Defense Research and Development, the IDF and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) launched the Ofek 13 satellite into space at 2:10 a.m. on Wednesday night. The launch was carried out using the Israeli satellite launcher Shavit, from a test site in the center of the country.
Watch the satellite's assembly, launch, and simulated deployment in space:
The Ofek 13 satellite is a radar observation satellite with advanced capabilities, with the ability to photograph in dark and cloudy conditions. Upon entering Earth orbit, the satellite will undergo a series of tests designed to verify that it is in good working order and that it is operating at the required level. The Ministry of Defense is leading the development and production of the satellite and the launcher through the Space Directorate of the DDR&D, and various elements of the IDF are also involved in the development, including the Intelligence Branch’s Unit 9900 and the Air Force. IAI is the main contractor for the project – the Missile and Space Systems Division, led by the Space Plant, is leading the project in cooperation with the Elta Division and other factories in the company. Tomer and Rafael manufactured the launch rocket engines.
Ofek Satellite is the name given to a family of remotely sensing satellites made in Israel and used by the defense establishment. These satellites are launched from Israel by the Israeli satellite launcher "Shavit". The first satellite in the series, which was also the first ever Israeli satellite in space, was "Ofek 1", which was launched in 1988. Thanks to Ofek 1, Israel became the eighth member of the "Space Club", that is, the group of countries that build satellites and launch them into space independently.