WATCH: Ofek 11 recon satellite launched into space from Israel

 

Israel’s latest surveillance satellite is capable of filming 64,000 minutes of footage yearly to complement Israel’s predecessor, Ofek 10, that was launched in April 2014, presumably to monitor Iran and radical militant islamic groups in the region.

By i24news

 

Israel on Tuesday together with Israel Aerospace Industries launched the Ofek 11 recon satellite into space, the Defense Ministry said.

Launch of “Ofek 10” – Photo: CHANNEL 2

Israel on Tuesday together with Israel Aerospace Industries launched the Ofek 11 recon satellite into space, the Defense Ministry said.

“A short while ago, Israel’s Ministry of Defense, along with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), launched the Ofek 11 satellite into space,” A Defense Ministry statement said.

The satellite’s predecessor, Ofek 10 was launched in April 2014, presumably to monitor Iran and militant groups in the region.

According to the Haaretz daily, the Israel Defense Forces have said that the satellites are capable of filming 64,000 minutes worth of footage yearly as well as compiling about 800 photographic sorties.

The launch comes a little over a week after Israel lost its Amos 6 satellite when a SpaceX rocket exploded during a pre-launch test at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Amos 6, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and owned by Spacecom, was set to be launched into space on a 16-year mission intended, in part, to serve Facebook’s Internet.org project and bring Internet connectivity to sub-Saharan Africa.

 

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http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/technology/125312-160913-israel-launches-ofek-11-recon-satellite-into-space