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Israel launches new spy satellite
In the face of Iran’s race to obtain nuclear weapons, Israel strengthened its foothold in space Tuesday with the successful launch of a spy satellite, which defense officials said would provide the IDF with unprecedented operational capabilities.
Called Ofek 9, the satellite was launched at around 10 p.m. Tuesday from the Palmahim air base along the Mediterranean coast. It was placed in low orbit by an Israel Aerospace Industries-manufactured Shavit booster rocket of the same type used for the Ofek 7 satellite in 2007.
“This provides Israel with greater operational flexibility, since we now have another set of eyes on a target,” Chaim Eshed, director of space programming at the Defense Ministry’s Research and Development Directorate (MAFAT), told The Jerusalem Post. “This means that we have increased the rate we can visit a target.Click here to read the full story.
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