Ofek-1 and the Shavit launcher (Israel)
Ofek-1 y el lanzador Shavit (Israel)
- Date
- 19 de septiembre de 1988 · confidence high
- Place
- Palmachim Airbase, Rishon LeZion, Central District, Israel
- Credited to
- Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and the Israel Space Agency
- Field
- Movement
What it is
Israel put its first satellite in orbit on its own Shavit rocket, launched westward over the Mediterranean so as not to overfly neighbouring countries. It became the eighth country with independent orbital capability.
The order was USSR, US, France, Japan, China, UK, India (1980) and Israel (1988); some sources order the UK and France differently depending on whether they count first attempt or first success.
What it led to
- the Ofek and TecSAR observation satellite series
- retrograde launch capability
- Israeli space industry and projects such as Beresheet