Israel Aerospace
Industries' Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Satellite Was Successfully
Launched Into Orbit On An Indian PSLV Launcher
(21 January 2008) Itzhak Nissan, IAI's
President & CEO said: "IAI's management is very proud of this achievement,
which serves as additional proof of IAI's great technological capabilities, and
of IAI's leadership in the Israeli space industry.
First images
are scheduled to be received after 14 days"
Management of Israel
Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) announced that an advanced imaging satellite
produced by IAI, employing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology, was
successfully launched into orbit today (January 21, 2008, 05:45 Israel time) on
an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
The satellite, under
the brand name TECSAR, was launched at the SHAR test field in southeast India
in collaboration with a team of Indian and Israeli experts. The launch was
carried out in accordance with a co-operation agreement between the Government
of India and IAI relating to space activities.
The TECSAR's signal was
received at the IAI ground station 80 minutes after launch (07:10 Israel time),
immediately upon its reaching the station communication range. By all
indications so far, the satellite is functioning properly.
The satellite
is now orbiting the Earth, and IAI's engineers and scientists have commenced
the prescribed series of in-orbit tests to verify its performance. Due to the
complexity of the TECSAR, as compared to satellites previously produced by IAI,
the in-orbit tests are scheduled to continue for several weeks, and the first
images are scheduled for receipt 14 days after launch.
The TECSAR is the
first satellite of its kind developed in Israel, and ranks among the world's
most advanced space systems. It carries a SAR payload, designed to provide
images during day, night and all weather conditions, including under cloud
cover. The satellite is controlled and monitored by an IAI-based ground
station.
This satellite was designed, built and integrated by IAI's
scientists and engineers, with the MBT Space division acting as prime
contractor and Elta Systems Ltd., an IAI subsidiary, provided the SAR payload.
The project included contributions from other IAI divisions, as well as from
leading Israeli hi-tech companies such as Rafael, Tadiran-Spectralink and
Rokar.
The TECSAR joins an impressive list of satellites developed,
produced and launched by IAI. As of today, 11 satellites from the Ofeq, EROS
and Amos brands have been launched, including seven satellites currently in
orbit. These successes contributed to IAI's recent award of a material contract
to develop the Amos 4 communications satellite.
Itzhak Nissan, IAI's
President & CEO said: "IAI's management is very proud of this achievement,
which serves as additional proof of IAI's great technological and
administrative capabilities, and of IAI's leadership in the Israeli space
industry and other areas of advanced technology."
(source:
IAI)
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