The Observation Satellite "Ofeq 9" Produced by Israel Aerospace Industries Has Successfully Transmitted Its First Images
Jun 28, 2010
Itzhak Nissan, President and CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries: "A flawless technological achievement that will improve the Israel Defense Forces' operational capabilities."
On Friday, June 25th, approximately 70 hours after the successful launch of the observation satellite "Ofeq 9", the satellite began to transmit its first images to the ground station.
The very high-resolution images are a clear indication that all the satellite's systems are operating successfully and that the "Ofeq 9" has joined the rest of the observation satellites that are currently serving the state of Israel. Israel Aerospace Industries' (IAI) observation satellites include optical satellites ("Ofeq 5", which was launched in 2002, and "Ofeq 7", launched in 2007), as well as the imaging radar satellite TecSAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) which provides high-resolution radar images, under all weather conditions, day or night.
"Ofeq 9" was launched on Tuesday, June 22nd, at 22:00PM from the Palmahim Israel Air Force base from a "Shavit" launcher produced by IAI. The satellite was successfully injected into orbit, and in the following days, completed a series of pre-programmed tests, all of them successful. These tests ensured that the satellite's systems were operating as planned.
Itzhak Nissan, President and CEO of IAI, said: "In addition to the successful, precise launch of the satellite, we now know that all its systems are operating normally, and both these facts reflect IAI's impressive technological and operational capabilities." Nissan added that this technological achievement owes its success to the employees of IAI, the prime contractor of the project, and to all the people who were involved along the way, from the Israel defense system, the IDF, and the other defense industries that took part in this successful project.
Following the launch, on June 23rd 2010, Israel's President Mr. Shimon Peres praised IAI's employees: "The launching of the "Ofeq 9" will give the state of Israel a significant, qualitative edge, and will help provide information from all over the world. Congratulations to the impressive team. You have proven, once again, that Israel Aerospace Industries is at the forefront of the global industry."
For further details, please contact:
Doron Suslik
Deputy Corporate VP of Communications
Tel: +972-3-935-8509
Fax: +972-3-935-8512
Email: hpaz@iai.co.il
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