Israel successfully launches Ofek-7 military spy satellite - Haaretz

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Tue., December 01, 2009 Kislev 14, 5770

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		The Ofek-7 military spy satellite being launched into space from Palmahim air force base near Ashdod on Monday. (AP)




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Last update - 00:00 11/06/2007

Israel successfully launches Ofek-7 military spy satellite

By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and Agencies

Israel successfully launched the Ofek-7 military spy satellite from the Palmahim air force base early Monday morning.

According to Israel Radio, the satellite was successfully launched at 2:40A.M. The satellite, which was launched on a "Shavit" rocket, began orbiting the earth two hours later.

Yitzhak Nissan, CEO of the Israel Aircraft Industries, which developed the new satellite, said all of its systems are currently functioning properly. Shmuel Keren, head of the weapons and technological infrastructure development administration said Ofek-7 will improve the defense establishment's capabilities.

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Defense Minister Amir Peretz welcomed the successful launch, saying it "adds an important layer to Israel's security and it is evidence of Israel's technological strength."

Israel Radio said the Ofek-7 contains notable improvements over the the Ofek-6 satellite, which crashed into the Mediterranean shortly after launch in 2004, costing the Defense Establishment an estimated $80 million.

Ofek-7 is to replace Ofek-5, which has been orbiting for almost five years. Ofek-5's life had to be extended when the launch of Ofek-6 failed.

Ofek-7 was developed in conjunction with several leading Israeli defense industry companies, including Rafael, and its cost is classified. The satellite weighs roughly 300 kilograms and is expected to follow an elliptical orbit at an altitude of between 311 and 600 kilometers. The satellite is 2.3 meters long and has an expected life of four years.

The satellite's launch comes amid increasing tension with Iran and reports that Syria has been arming and preparing for a military confrontation with Israel. However, defense establishment sources said there is no connection between these crises and the launch of the satellite.

The sources added that the launch has been planned for some time, and that Israel intends to launch a new satellite every two and a half years. The sources added, however, that the satellite will serve the needs of the defense establishment and be used exclusively for defense purposes

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1.	Great news!	06:38	\|	Sherman	11/06/07

2.	Amazing	06:58	\|	Alan	11/06/07

3.	Good news indeed	07:01	\|	Gili	11/06/07

4.	Against the direction of the Earth`s Rotation	07:07	\|	Mireya Siqueiros	11/06/07

5.	Good Work !	07:13	\|	Ruth	11/06/07

6.	What kind of morons announce they have a spy satellite?	07:23	\|	Steve Holden	11/06/07

7.	Big deal	07:24	\|	Joseph Kobzon	11/06/07

8.	Pimples on Ahmedinejad`s nose.	07:34	\|	Phillipe Theodosius	11/06/07

9.	great news!	07:42	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	11/06/07

10.	AHMAGHINEJAD IS WET IN HIS PANCE WITH THE NEWS	07:51	\|	reuven	11/06/07

11.	to steve, the genius.	07:54	\|	remy	11/06/07

12.	I am suprised	07:54	\|	David G	11/06/07

13.	Steve Holden -- Countrys that are not afraid of the truth perhaps	08:13	\|	bbl	11/06/07

14.	#6 Steve Holden	08:38	\|	Mickey	11/06/07

15.	# 6 Steve Holden @ Boston / MA	09:05	\|	Joseph E .	11/06/07

16.	Great, Now Lets Stop The Qassams	09:05	\|	J of Hollywood	11/06/07

17.	many happy returns	09:12	\|	Adel	11/06/07

18.	It is called invisible spy , let see if it can send some info	09:13	\|	Joseph E .	11/06/07

19.	probably used american satellite	09:26	\|	Jordi	11/06/07

20.	The satellite`s launch comes amid increasing tension	09:47	\|	Ronn	11/06/07

21.	Ofek-7	09:47	\|	Guido Van Cappellen	11/06/07

22.	OFEK-7 2 find Shalit!	09:48	\|	sam	11/06/07

23.	Question	09:52	\|	Physicist	11/06/07

24.	Ofek-7 More Effective	10:01	\|	Roland	11/06/07

25.	To #6: Who`s the Moron?	10:02	\|	Jack	11/06/07

26.	what kind of moron doesn`t understand the importance ofannouncing	10:11	\|	don	11/06/07

27.	BRAVO!	10:17	\|	Citizen	11/06/07

28.	#24 Roland more stupid	10:29	\|	Hastaroth	11/06/07

29.	What`s the difference????	10:34	\|	Willy	11/06/07

30.	#16 THE SOLUTIONS ARE THERE ITS THE LACK OF WILL TO USE THEM	10:35	\|	paul harris	11/06/07

31.	#24 ROLAND IS IN THE WRONG COLUMN TODAY TRY GAZA	10:36	\|	paul harris	11/06/07

32.	To number 6.	10:37	\|	David Nigel Braham	11/06/07

33.	MAZEL TOV TO ISRAEL	10:54	\|	MOSHE	11/06/07

34.	Congratulations !	10:57	\|	observer	11/06/07

35.	JUST DO IT, BUT DON`T ATTACK	11:03	\|	indrajaya	11/06/07

36.	The war is changing	11:23	\|	Teresina	11/06/07

37.	THESE ARE US SPY SATELLITES	11:57	\|	Joseph	11/06/07

38.	35 Indrajaha...methinks you do protest too much	12:04	\|	The Equalizer	11/06/07

39.	indrajaya indrajaya	12:15	\|	Craig F	11/06/07

40.	Roland -- you should try reading the news sometime	12:30	\|	bbl	11/06/07

41.	Once Again...	12:32	\|	Ron Erez	11/06/07

42.	Joseph #37 the military hardware analyst	12:33	\|	bbl	11/06/07

43.	If Israel discovered a cure for cancer	12:34	\|	Sidney	11/06/07

44.	# 37, JOSEPH	12:36	\|	indrajaya	11/06/07

45.	#17 Adel	12:38	\|	Itsik	11/06/07

46.	There will be a hot summer	12:41	\|	Jonathan S	11/06/07

47.	#37 Joseph	12:49	\|	Itsik	11/06/07

48.	"Iran almost ready to launch spy satellite into space"	12:50	\|	JustMe	11/06/07

49.	Over rated but still a hoot	13:09	\|	Natallie Durson	11/06/07

50.	bbl @ # 13	13:17	\|	akiva P	11/06/07

51.	indrajaya - Iran / Indonesia	13:18	\|	Craig F	11/06/07

52.	Arent these things supposed to be kept secret????	13:31	\|	Ronnie Wolman	11/06/07

53.	Pathetic,truly pathetic.	13:39	\|	Absolute Sweden	11/06/07

54.	Indrajaya It can detect objects of 70cm on the ground.	14:06	\|	PETER SM	11/06/07

55.	Merci Beaucoup, France	14:09	\|	Israel	11/06/07

56.	To Steve #6	14:22	\|	Daniel	11/06/07

57.	should send Amier Peretz in to space	14:25	\|	SJ	11/06/07

58.	auch Roland!	14:26	\|	roland	11/06/07

59.	Ethan: Missiles to Teheran	14:27	\|	Ronnie Wolman	11/06/07

60.	roland and Natalie	14:28	\|	harry	11/06/07

61.	Maybe they should have called it The Pollard!	14:32	\|	Ronnie Wolman	11/06/07

62.	Tel Aviv"s SJ	14:50	\|	akiva P	11/06/07

63.	# 54, PETER SM	14:55	\|	indrajaya	11/06/07

64.	WHY THESE WERE OF NO USE TO DEFEAT HIZBULLAH???	15:16	\|	Joseph	11/06/07

65.	people still don`t know what was said in the october	15:18	\|	pal	11/06/07

66.	You`re missing the point, people.	15:20	\|	Ethan	11/06/07

67.	Mireya / Mexico	15:24	\|	Freddy	11/06/07

68.	Thank G-D	15:29	\|	Nicole	11/06/07

69.	Crazy, suspicious, trigger-happy people.	15:47	\|	Omran	11/06/07

70.	#64 JOSEPH ASKS WHY TO THE OBVIOUS	16:13	\|	paul harris	11/06/07

71.	Omran #69 - Not Quite Right	16:24	\|	Double Click	11/06/07

72.	#69 Omran	16:28	\|	Itsik	11/06/07

73.	Ronnie, you attacked me before I posted on this article!	16:34	\|	Ethan	11/06/07

74.	who says they were useless Joseph?	16:39	\|	Jacob Blues	11/06/07

75.	Great news	16:41	\|	Mike	11/06/07

76.	One more thing to remember people	16:43	\|	Jacob Blues	11/06/07

77.	Israel`s Ofek-7 & BBC	16:56	\|	jed nightingale	11/06/07

78.	The launch rocket	17:09	\|	Mike Burshtein	11/06/07

79.	indrajaya	17:16	\|	Michael Korn	11/06/07

80.	Nice progress, but not decisive	17:21	\|	Tosefta	11/06/07

81.	What kind of morons announce they have a spy satellite? - Steve	17:22	\|	Mark Lincoln	11/06/07

82.	#35. Do not attack and not attacked you be.	17:24	\|	Sukharno	11/06/07

83.	#69. You hate us? Why then you`re so	17:31	\|	Salakh-ed-Din	11/06/07

84.	Now watch out world!	17:38	\|	J from Berlin	11/06/07

85.	Nice progress, but not decisive	17:55	\|	Tosefta	11/06/07

86.	indrajaya ...why is it-countries influenced by...	17:58	\|	maria	11/06/07

87.	Great news	18:15	\|	Ofer	11/06/07

88.	It`s not the spying that matters by Andras Bereny	18:52	\|	Andras Bereny	11/06/07

89.	#69 Omran, If your terrorist brothers would not	19:34	\|	TOMY	11/06/07

90.	TO # 6 & 7 Ofeck Satellite	19:59	\|	Gary Pineda	11/06/07

91.	Israel leads in Technology Development	20:37	\|	Bruriah Sarah	11/06/07

92.	pollard indeed	20:50	\|	natan	11/06/07

93.	craig f you must be kidding	20:51	\|	mia	11/06/07

94.	# 9 Cipora Juliana Kohn.ISN`T IT GREAT??ANOTHER ONE TO "NOTCH UP"	20:56	\|	KATH`	11/06/07

95.	# 24 Roland. SOUR GRAPES!! WAIT TILL MORE BE ACHIEVED..WOW.!!.	20:59	\|	KATH`	11/06/07

96.	# 26 don. what kind of moron doesn`t understand the importance ..	21:08	\|	KATH`	11/06/07

97.	Why some Americans use the term "WE" when they talk about Israel	21:16	\|	kia	11/06/07

98.	Kath*	22:32	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	11/06/07

99.	Ofek7	22:57	\|	Harrie	11/06/07

100.	"Iran almost ready to launch spy satellite into space"	23:14	\|	Mark Lincoln	11/06/07

101.	You need a Klingon Cloaking Device Ronnie?	23:16	\|	Mark Lincoln	11/06/07

102.	some more interesting info on satellite	23:18	\|	Satellite expert	11/06/07

103.	Indrajaya	23:22	\|	Neal	11/06/07

104.	Put your head back in the hole	23:44	\|	Mark Lincoln	11/06/07

105.	Ofek-7 might help to prevent the Palestinians..#24	00:43	\|	Karl	12/06/07

106.	Cipora - a bit more perspective	01:34	\|	Mark Lincoln	12/06/07

107.	Ethan: 1930,40,50,60,70,80,90	01:44	\|	Ronnie Wolman	12/06/07

108.	Ofek-7	02:48	\|	Quassam	12/06/07

109.	37 .. joseph	03:03	\|	zionist forever	12/06/07

110.	Thank you, Freddy (67)	03:08	\|	Mireya Siqueiros	12/06/07

111.	To sam (22)	03:13	\|	Mireya Siqueiros	12/06/07

112.	Jacob Blues: Did you read Friedmans Piece yesterday?	03:23	\|	Ronnie Wolman	12/06/07

113.	64	03:26	\|	zionist forever	12/06/07

114.	Limits of remote sensing	03:53	\|	Jacob	12/06/07

115.	4 -- Mireya Siqueiros	04:07	\|	zionist forever	12/06/07

116.	All nuclear sites of Iran at Google Earth.	04:18	\|	Claudia Loria	12/06/07

117.	Mark Lincoln and Rocket Science	05:49	\|	Jacob Blues	12/06/07

118.	QUASSAM Israel will hold still while the Arabs catch up?	07:00	\|	PETER SM	12/06/07

119.	Mark Lincoln -- what the Lord handstamps is always miraculous	07:11	\|	Gina	12/06/07

120.	friedman is full of himself	07:39	\|	mia	12/06/07

121.	To Claudia Loria # 116, I`m impressed by your knowledge.	07:56	\|	Jeff	12/06/07

122.	iran nuke energy program is no secret	08:10	\|	mia	12/06/07

123.	Time to demonstrate Some serious Anti Satellite Weaponary	16:55	\|	Observer	12/06/07

124.	mia is full of himself	19:39	\|	Jeff	12/06/07

125.	Mark Lincoln #104: you are amazing!	01:36	\|	Salomoni	13/06/07

126.	# 37 Joseph, please, stop lying	16:15	\|	Bob	13/06/07

127.	to #57	16:57	\|	Sapir	15/06/07

128.	Hmmm - Cost of sattelite are clasified...	14:38	\|	mario	16/06/07

129.	Iran	14:03	\|	mike porretta	24/09/07

130.	jews & foreign toys	15:06	\|	ML	18/02/08

131.	Ofek-7	19:23	\|	John	19/07/08

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