Avi Har Evan, one of the top executives of the space industry and CEO of the Space Agency for about a decade died of his wounds

Har Evan was seriously injured during the fire at the Effendi Hotel in Old Acre, on the night of the riots in the cities involved during Operation Guard of the Walls, May 11, 2021, and since then he has been in a serious condition, sedated and ventilated at the Rambam Hospital

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Avi Har-Evan, who died this evening from his wounds at the Rambam Hospital. This is what Har-Evan's family said. The family would like to thank the hospital staff for the dedicated and professional care of my father over the last few weeks, in addition to the many who prayed and prayed for his safety.

At the request of the family, the funeral will not be covered.

On May 11, 2021, the first day of Operation Wall Guard was also a difficult day in the cities involved within Israel, including Acre.

Har-Evan was one of the guests of the hotel, and was unable to escape the fire in the ancient building, he was transferred to the intensive care unit of the Rambam Hospital in Haifa where he was sedated and ventilated but the 84-year-old Har-Evan did not survive, and a short time ago we learned of his death.

Har-Evan was born in 1939 under the name Abba Hartstein (hence the accented B). He changed his last name when he went on a mission as part of his military service.

I got to know Har-Evan during his tenure as CEO of the Israel Space Agency, which lasted a full decade. He served under nine ministers of science (and for a few more days with the tenth), and demonstrated extreme professionalism.

The late Har-Evan managed the Israel Space Agency during one of its most difficult hours - the Columbia disaster, in which the Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon also perished.

He accompanied the operation even when Ramon was in training and waited years for a flight on the space shuttle Columbia that was repeatedly postponed. Although the lean space agency of those days could not take on a project of this magnitude and left the actual work to the Air Force, he was always there to resolve issues with NASA.

And on a personal note. Har-Evan was one of the few agency managers who understood that communication is not just Yediot Ahronoth and Channel 2. He helped me interview Ilan Ramon twice, once by phone (unfortunately, the news, which was also published in the Galileo magazine, was lost) and once arranged a meeting for us with a camera crew that took pictures for The film that was broadcast on Channel 2 at the time of the vote and with minor changes after the disaster. He answered all my questions at length.

He also helped the PM to coordinate the The unique interview with the late Ilan Ramon at the Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas in June 2002. At the time it was thought that the launch was expected within days but it was finally delayed for six months.

In particular he was interviewed during the many reports after the disaster Also about what is happening at the big sister agency, including the budget crisis and the loss of direction regarding the ferries.

Even during his career he made history with ease, for example he was the first to match the Israeli space industry and academia with the Indian Space Agency in 2004 when he signed an agreement with the Indian Space Agency to put Israeli experiments on a satellite that orbited the moon.

Hare-Evan has a part in making Israel a space power. In 1982, he began working at the Aerospace Industry. I worked in management and development positions, and among other things, headed the program for the development of the Israeli Shavit launcher; He was responsible for R&D, planning and marketing in one of the divisions.

A day after his retirement from this position on December 31, 1994, he assumed the position of Director of the Israel Space Agency, as mentioned until the beginning of 2004.

After that, he moved to the field of consulting in the space industry in Israel and abroad, and served as a senior consultant to the Ministry of Economy and Industry.

In the comprehensive interview I conducted for Galileo magazine, he sheds light on the story of the Israeli space program intertwined for a whole decade with his personality. The interview took place at the time of his retirement in 2004 under the title "A one man space agency".

Of blessed memory.

Chairman of the Space Agency, Prof. Yitzhak Ben Israel: Har Evan laid the foundations for building Israel's current space capabilities

The Israel Space Agency issued a statement this evening about Har Evan's passing:

"The Israel Space Agency in the Ministry of Science and Technology participates in the deep sorrow of the Har Evan family with the death of Har Evan's father who was fatally injured in the hotel fire during the riots. Har Evan, 84 years old at the time of his death, was the former director general of the Space Agency, winner of the Israel Defense Prize and a senior member of the Israeli space industry."

"Har Evan began his defense career in the IDF, in the air defense system in the 60s. Later he also served as head of the research and development department at the General Staff and as head of the special measures division at the Ministry of Defense. After being discharged with the rank of colonel, he held a series of positions in the aerospace industry, and managed the development of the Shavit satellite launcher."

"Har-Evan was the fifth CEO of the Israel Space Agency and held the position for about a decade, from 1995 to 2004. During his tenure, Har-Evan expanded the international relations of the agency and the Israeli space industry, dozens of collaborations were signed with space agencies in the world in which the agency the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the German Space Agency (DLR), the French Space Agency (CNES), the Indian Space Agency (ISRO), the Ukrainian Space Agency (NSAU), the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos), the Netherlands Space Agency (NLR) and of course first and foremost Tightening ties between the Israeli Space Agency and NASA."

"During his time, Ilan Ramon was chosen to be the first Israeli astronaut to be launched into space in western Colombia, for a flight from which he did not return. Har Evan handled Ramon's participation in the launch and coordinated the tasks with academia and industry.
Avi Blasberger, Director of the Israel Space Agency at the Ministry of Science and Technology: "Avi Har Even was a central figure in promoting the space field in Israel both in industry and in the defense establishment. In his role as CEO of the Israel Space Agency, he greatly promoted the agency's foreign relations and was the first to position it at the center of the global space industry. Much thanks to Har Evan's work, Israel is still a space power on a global scale"

Prof. Itzik Ben Israel, Chairman of the Israel Space Agency: "Avi Har Even was one of the first directors of the Israel Space Agency and laid the foundations for building Israel's current space capabilities. His contribution is invaluable."
A great loss to the State of Israel, we share in the grief of the family and offer our condolences, that you may know no more sorrow.

More of the topic in Hayadan:

• Why is the space shuttle era ending?
• A one man space agency
• NASA's road map
• The Ministry of Science and Technology is looking for a manager for the Israel Space Agency