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The launch of Ofek 6 in September 2004 failed.
Uriel Sinai
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Last update - 02:06 23/02/2005
Defense seeks cash for two spy satellites
By Amnon Barzilai

The Defense Ministry has asked the treasury for a special budgetary allocation of NIS 400-600 million to build two new spy satellites.
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According to the defense establishment's plans, the next spy satellite - Ofek 7 - is scheduled to launch in a year and a half. But the treasury has not yet approved the request, and the entire schedule of the space program is likely to change.

The special budget request comes against the background of the unsuccessful launch of the Ofek 6 satellite last year. That failure led to a decision by the defense establishment to build two launchers, two satellites, two telescopic cameras and two radar imaging systems at the same time. This duplication is meant to insure that in case one of the new satellites crashes into the sea like the Ofek 6, there will still not be any delay in getting the next spy satellite into space.

Currently, Israel has two satellites moving through space: The military reconnaissance satellite Ofek 5, and the commercial imaging satellite Eros 1 - the civilian counterpart of the Ofek 5.

The next defense satellite - Ofek 7 - will have much greater capabilities than the present one. The Ofek 7 will have a new radar imaging system designed by Elta Systems which can identify ground objects from 400-600 kilometers above the earth regardless of weather and even at night. This feature is not found on the Ofek 5.

The new satellite is intended to strengthen Israel's strategic early warning capabilities.

Israel's reconnaissance satellites are built by Israel Aircraft Industries under the supervision of the Defense Ministry
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