A satellite was recently launched from the Palmahim Airbase in central Israel, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday, after Israelis reported sightings in the night sky.
The satellite's launch was conducted in a joint operation by the Defense Ministry, the IDF, and Israel Aerospace Industries, using a “Shavit” satellite launcher from a test site in central Israel.
The program is led by the Defense Ministry’s Space Directorate in MAFAT (Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure), in cooperation with the IDF, including military intelligence's Unit 9900 and the Israel Air Force.
The unannounced launch of Ofek 19's satellite sparked panic in some areas of the country, where civilians thought a missile was being launched without proper alerts being deployed.
What is the Ofek 19 satellite?
Israel's defense space program is led by the DDR&D’s Space Program Office and includes various stakeholders within the IDF, such as Unit 9900 of the Intelligence Directorate and the Israeli Air Force (IAF). Israel Aerospace Industries developed and manufactured both satellite and launcher as lead contractor. IAI's Systems, Missiles and Space (SMS) Group, through its SPACE Division, led the project in collaboration with the ELTA Group, who produced the payload, and IAI’s MLM Division, who developed the launcher alongside Tomer Ltd. and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, who manufactured the launch vehicle’s rocket engines.
The Ofek satellite series is Israel's military spy and intelligence-gathering satellite program, with a previous model (the Ofek 16) launched in March 2023.
The Ofek 16 carries an electro-optic, high-resolution camera, which can photograph 15 sq. km. with each shot at a resolution of 50 cm. from an altitude of 600 km.
Ofek 19 is an advanced synthetic aperture radar reconnaissance satellite designed to provide high-resolution imaging capabilities under all weather conditions for intelligence and surveillance purposes. After entering orbit around Earth, the satellite will undergo a series of tests to verify its performance and operational readiness.
Upon entering into operation, the IMOD will transfer command of the satellite to Unit 9900, the IDF’s visual and geospatial intelligence unit.
Due to security concerns, the launch was kept secret by the security echelon until it was already complete.
Following the launch IMOD Director General Maj.Gen (Res.) Amir Baram said that the Ofek 19 "represents a significant force multiplier for the operational capabilities of our defense establishment. The Swords of Iron War, particularly Operation Rising Lion, demonstrated that modern warfare extends into space. Expanding and strengthening our foothold in space is a central objective in the Ministry's strategy. In the coming decade, we will invest billions in deploying a satellite constellation that will allow us to maintain persistent, simultaneous surveillance of any point throughout the Middle East.”
In space since 1988
Israel’s satellite program, has been active since 1988 and the fact that Israel is one of 13 countries with satellite launching capabilities is not a given. Any space launch can face an endless list of catastrophic problems, something the space industry, including Israel’s, is, unfortunately, more than familiar with.
The launch alone is in itself a great achievement – it is carried out to the west, against the rotation of the Earth, so that its trajectory takes it out over the Mediterranean Sea to avoid enemy territory during the launch period.
The technology, as well as the Shavit launcher, which according to foreign reports launches the Jericho ballistic missile and can place up to 380 kg. into orbit, is not something Israel wants falling into enemy hands. The electro-optical reconnaissance satellite with advanced capabilities is also a feat of engineering, which would be a gem of intelligence should it be obtained by countries like Iran, and a disaster for Israel.
IMOD’s DDR&D, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dr. Daniel Gold said that the satellite will be a game-changer in preserving Israel's power in space which is becoming an increasingly critical front.
“Following our unprecedented wartime successes, including over 12,000 satellite images of Iranian territory during Operation Rising Lion, we have deployed an advanced satellite equipped with cutting-edge intelligence gathering capabilities representing the forefront of global technology," he said. "Space is becoming an increasingly critical domain of warfare, and this satellite delivers a quantum leap in operational and technological capabilities that will preserve and enhance Israel's space-based superiority for decades to come.”