The momentum created in public opinion after the launch of the first Israeli astronaut allows the space community in Israel to make organizational moves that will increase its ability to influence and encourage Israeli activity in the field of space
Cutting Mode
Today in Israel there are several organizations relevant to the field of space:
• The Israel Aviation and Space Association - a professional-scientific organization, does not allow avenues of activity for those lacking professional knowledge, and does not engage in public activity.
• The Israeli Astronomical Society - as above.
• Track, a student organization for the promotion of space exploration - carries out regular and effective activities. Due to its definition as a student organization, a track is not seen as an address that allows activity for space seekers who are not students. For the same reason, a route is limited in its ability to raise funds. The small and limited number of members in advance does not allow to concentrate a real influence in front of decision makers.
• Associations of science fiction enthusiasts - do not constitute an entity that operates officially in the field of space, but there is almost no doubt that their members will be happy to take part / support activities that encourage space exploration.
Today, the establishment of a public umbrella organization is required, which will be a potential channel of activity for space seekers just as the green organizations are a potential channel of activity for environmentalists.
The proposal underlying this document is the establishment of such an organization and its registration as an association, while defining three main courses of action:
1. The public channel - activity in front of the decision makers in the Knesset and the government, and accompanying it in the media and public opinion. The vacuum in this area is well felt. For example, it was only around the launch of Ilan Ramon that the dissatisfaction of the professional space community in Israel with the budget cuts intended for Israel's participation in the International Space Station was discovered. If there was a broad public organization whose mission was this, part of its role would be to put the issue on the agenda at the time when the decision on the cut was made, to initiate a discussion in the Knesset's science committee, etc. A public organization, which does not limit its members by occupation, will be able to mobilize a broad support base, a large part of it among young people, and conduct public struggles such as signing petitions, etc. A space association with a reasonable financial basis could also hire a lobbying office in the Knesset, which would lobby in favor of the allocation of funds to the Israeli Space Utilization Agency. (The activity of such offices, especially in issues relatively far from the focus of public attention, has been proven several times to have enormous potential).
2. The educational channel - initiating and running educational and learning projects, which will be operated mostly by volunteers. Collaborations with youth movements and the education system.
3. The economic / technical channel - raising funds and technical skills for a tangible goal in the field of space, such as building a device to be launched in one of the space missions, establishing an Israeli team to compete in the xprize competition, or funding research and scientific experiments.
It is important to establish a public space association in Israel, whose honorary presidents will be people of the caliber of Eitan Ben Eliyahu and/or Ilan Ramon, and alongside them will be an advisory scientific council that will include the names of the best scientists in the field. Such an association, compared to any of the bodies mentioned above, will have orders of magnitude easier access both to fundraising, to decision makers and politicians, and to the education system.
The beginning - how do you start?
All beginnings are difficult, and usually the most difficult is starting without a budget. On the assumption that cooperation between Ilan Ramon and Eitan Ben Eliyahu will be achieved, it must be assumed that "Dinars" with their participation (especially with Ramon's participation), when the participants donate money in exchange for their invitation to "Dinar", will be very popular among the wealthy of Israel and will enable the raising of initial capital for the start of the activities of the Space Association the Israeli one.
