The cost of Israel's failed attempt to launch the Ofek-6 spy satellite Monday, after a malfunction in the third phase of the Shavit satellite launcher, stands at some $100 million.
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As a result of the malfunction, the satellite crashed into the Mediterranean Sea. The Ofek-6 satellite destroyed in the crash was developed by a consortium led by state-owned Israel Aircraft Industries.
The failure is being seen as a serious setback for Israel's security industry, which had hoped that the Ofek-6 would serve another layer in Israel's advanced warning system in case of a surprise missile attack. The satellite was also designed to provide real-time information on Iran's missile program.
"Such incidents are very expensive for all involved," a defense source said about the lost satellite.
The setback came days after Israel's missile-killer system, the Arrow II, failed to shoot down a dummy missile off the coast of California.
Preparations for the launch were conducted in complete secrecy and the exact time of the launch was kept secret from the media. The attempted launch was eventually held at Palmachim at 1:45 P.M. (10:45 A.M. GMT).
Ahead of time, all the signs were that the launch would be successful. The first and second stages of the launch went ahead without hitch, but the malfunction occurred during the third stage, and the satellite crashed into the sea.
The Ofek-6 satellite exploded soon after launch, but no injuries were reported on the ground, military officials said.
The Shavit missile that carried the satellite apparently malfunctioned, the officials said on condition of anonymity.
Israel has launched several satellites of different kinds, including in 1996 the Amos 1, which carries TV stations, and the Ofek-6's predecessor, Ofek-5, which was launched in 2002.
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