The Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz, left today (Sun.), 8.8.2010, for a visit to Washington, USA. The purpose of his trip is an official visit to NASA and holding a series of discussions with the heads of the scientific establishment in Washington on the issues of the Ministry of Science and Technology. In doing so, the minister responded to the invitation of the head of NASA, Charles Bolden, who participated in the fifth space conference named after the late Ilan Ramon in January of this year.
The minister's visit is a sign of strengthening the relationship between the Israel Space Agency, which is part of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and NASA in a number of areas of common interest to both parties.
In January of this year, Israel officially joined the NASA initiative on lunar and planetary research with the participation of research groups from Ben-Gurion University and the Technion. Among the research subjects, in which the Israeli researchers are partners, are intersatellite communication using laser systems and control issues and management of satellite cluster systems moving in space in a coordinated manner to perform complex tasks.
Israel's achievements in the field of space, and especially in the field of observations towards the Earth using optical photography satellites and innovative and lightweight radar photography satellites, create opportunities for joint research with other countries, led by the United States, for the application of Israeli technology in future scientific projects for the study of the solar system, the planets, as well as for observations of the past Celestial bodies (pulsating source nebulae, black holes and others) located in the depths of the universe. During his visit, the minister will raise possibilities for collaborations, in which the possibility of applying innovative developments developed in Israel in the field of observation systems from space towards the Earth, in future space missions of NASA, will be examined, thereby expanding the boundaries of knowledge in the fields of astrophysics in particular and science in general.
The meeting is intended to promote scientific and technological collaborations that will be formed into a general agreement for cooperation in space. The visit will also include a tour by the Minister of Science at the NASA Goddard Center in Greenbelt Maryland, where the Minister will be able to get an impression of NASA's achievements in Earth sciences, astrophysics, solar physics, planetary sciences, communications engineering and technological developments.
Also, Minister Hershkovitz, the Director General of the Ministry, Menachem Greenblum and the Director of the Space Agency, Dr. Zvi Kaplan, will meet with the head of the National Academy of Sciences in the USA, Dr. Ralph Cicerone and with the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Dr. Cora B. Marrett. The minister will discuss with you options for expanding cooperation between Israel and the US at the federal level.
