Ofek-1

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

09:31:00

Monday September 19, 1988

Mission Details

Launch Notes

First flight of Shavit. Israel becomes the world's 8th space power.

Ofek-1

Wiki

Ofek 1 is the first Israeli satellite sent into space. Thanks to the success of the mission, Israel became the 8th nation to launch its own satellite. Weighing 155 kg, it is launched by a Shavit launcher and placed in an elliptical orbit with a perigee of 249 km and a peak of 1,149 km. 4 objectives were set for this mission: the experimentation of the generation of solar energy, radio transmission tests, verification of the ability of the system to withstand weightless conditions, and the collection of data on the space environment and the Earth's magnetic field. Scheduled for a lifetime of a few weeks, it did not enter the atmosphere until January 14, 1989, almost four months after its launch.

Retrograde Low Earth Orbit

1 Payload

155 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Shavit

Active 1988 to 1993

Israel Aerospace Industries logo

Agency

IAI

Rocket

Height: 18m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 160 kg

Liftoff Thrust

413 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 1.3m

Height: 4.37m

Stages

3

Launch Site

Pad 1

Palmachim Airbase, Israel

Fastest Turnaround

545 days 11 hours

Stats

Shavit


1st

Mission

1st

Mission of 1988

Israel Aerospace Industries


1st

Mission

2nd

Mission of 1988

1988


91st

Orbital launch attempt