ISRAELI SATELLITES

Israel is currently using at least two satellites: AMOS-1 and OFEQ-3.

AMOS-1 is a 996 kg communication satellite (NSSDC ID: 96-030B). This geosynchronous satellite was launched on 16 May 1996 from Kourou (French Guyana) by an Ariane 44 L rocket. It carries 7 transponders in the Ku-band to enable voice and vision communications to a large area centered on Israel.

View of the AMOS-1 equatorial geostationary orbit at an altitude of 35,800 km
(NSSDC/NASA document):

OFEQ-3 is a 189 kg military surveillance satellite (NSSDC ID: 95-018A) which was launched westward on May 5, 1996, by an Israeli Shavit rocket from the Palmahim launch site, somewhere south of Tel Aviv. It is the first generation of Israeli made small satellites built by IAI (Israel Aircraft Industries) and MLM System Engineering and Integration. It consists in an octagonally shaped cyclinder with two deployed 1.8 sq m panels and circles the earth in 1 hour 36 minutes at an altitude of 500 km.

View of the OFEQ-3 orbit (NSSDC/NASA document):

Israel is planning to launch eight satellites for remote earth probing.These satellites will be put into orbit from Siberia by Russian-made rockets. The first is supposed to be launched before August 2000, with the last one due into orbit before 2003.

(November 1999)