
The “Ofek 16” spy satellite launched from central Israel at 4 a.m. on Monday morning is due to significantly upgrade Israel’s ability to monitor the dangerous activities of its adversaries throughout the Middle East, foremost among them Iran.
The satellite was launched successfully by the Defense Ministry and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) following years of research and development, and a working schedule that in recent months had to be adapted to restrictions created by the coronavirus pandemic.
IAI officials said they viewed the satellite’s launch as a top priority. This is due to the fact that “Ofek 16” is designed to provide the Israeli defense establishment with a higher than ever resolution camera in space.
Amnon Harari, head of the Ministry’s Space and Satellite Administration, noted on Monday that the latest spy satellite joins a series of similar ones in orbit, including the “Ofek 5,” launched in 2002, which remains operational to this day. The first of the “Ofek” (the Hebrew word for “horizon”) series was launched in 1988.
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