Ministry of Defense and Aerospace Industries announced this morning the successful launch • Horizon 16 advanced capabilities, and will undergo a series of tests as it enters orbit • Shlomi Sudri Space Operations Manager: "The satellites allow us to look everywhere in the Middle East"

• Satellite launching horizon, archive

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  Israel Aerospace Industries

Israeli achievement: Ministry of Defense and Aerospace Industries announced Monday (Monday) the successful launch of the "Horizon 16" satellite into space. The satellite was launched at 4am, from a field experiment in the center of the country using a "comet" satellite launcher.

According to the Defense Ministry's announcement, this is an advanced electro-optical observation satellite and, as it enters orbit, the satellite will undergo a series of tests designed to verify its integrity and performance.

Israel is considered to be one of the only countries capable of launching satellites into space, with the first satellite of the Horizon series launched by Israel in 1988. Today, there are five satellites in the space series, to which Horizon 16 is expected to join.

Documentation of the Horizon Horizon 1 launch satellite // Courtesy of Ministry of Defense spokesmen

Head of Space Director Amnon Harari said after the launch: "While the threats to the State of Israel are many and varied, the satellites are ideally responding to staying in space all the time, and if there are several such satellites it gives a good indication. Horizon 5 we launched in 2002 also serves us faithfully" .

Aerospace Operations Manager Shlomi Sodri added: "This is an electro-optical observation satellite. It enhances groundbreaking capabilities and enhances technological capabilities. Preparations for launching the satellite were at the peak of the Corona. The mission has been defined as strategic.

"Horizon's orbit will be similar to its previous satellites. It will be very similar to Horizon 11 in terms of performance. Optical satellite only. It has slight improvements, but its performance is very advanced in relation to satellites of this type in the world. The order of the satellite forces allows us to look at all A place in the Middle East and beyond and a threat site. "

Each year, the Ministry of Defense invests hundreds of millions of shekels in the development of the space and satellite industries. The Ministry of Defense's multi-year development plan brings about the upgrading of the strategic capabilities of the State of Israel, a significant strengthening of the Israeli high-tech industry and the creation of many jobs.

Recall, the first Israeli satellite - "Horizon 1" - was launched into space 32 years ago, in 1988, and since then the satellite program has enhanced the intelligence capabilities of the State of Israel. Israeli satellites incorporate breakthrough capabilities and technologies from the aerospace industry and the security industries that collaborate with the project, placing the satellites' capabilities and performance in the face of tomorrow's challenges.

The State of Israel was the seventh country in the world to reach full capacity in space (launch and satellite), and currently Israel is one of 13 countries with this capability, alongside the US, Russia, China, France, Italy, Britain, India, South and North Korea, Japan, Ukraine and Iran.