The field of remote sensing was the main topic at the 13th Ilan Ramon conference that took place last week at Tel Aviv University in collaboration with the Yuval Na'eman workshop. In the coming days we will expand on the coverage of the professional sessions at the conference
In the welcoming remarks at the beginning of the conference, the Director General of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Peretz Vezan, said: "This year, when we celebrate 70 years of independence, the emphasis is on seventy years of scientific and technological innovation." "The development of science and technology today allows us to deal better with the earth's environmental problems such as the depletion of agricultural land and pollution. Last August we launched the Venus satellite, the fruit of joint development by Israel and France and is one of the highlights of the long-standing cooperation between the Israeli Space Agency and the French Space Agency."
"Venus is the first Israeli satellite for environmental research and is considered the smallest of its kind in the world. Its purpose is to monitor fields and natural areas from space for environmental research purposes while monitoring the condition of the soil, vegetation, forestry, agriculture, water quality and more.
"We hope that thanks to the photographs we will receive from the multispectral camera of Venus we will be able to locate and promote better use of natural resources and water sources and generally improve research on environmental issues."
see also: Minister Akunis: "Space Week is held this year to mark 70 years of Israeli innovation"
Prof. Yosef Klefter, president of Tel Aviv University: "I am happy that Tel Aviv University is the home of the annual Ilan Ramon Space Conference for at least the next three years. After describing Tel Aviv University to the guests from abroad, Prof. Clifter informed that the university is establishing a center for research, study and launching of nano satellites. In addition to students and faculty members, there will also be close contact with industry and the Ministry of Defense.
The cube-shaped satellites will be adapted to specific groups and specific studies. The effort is led by the head of environmental sciences here at the university, and is supported by the Porter Foundation. The project is built on the university's interdisciplinary strength and connects experts in nanotechnology, space and atmospheric sciences, computing, communications, computer science, environmental science, life science, and more, and it will also serve as a place to educate students about technology, science and engineering (STEM).
The nano-satellites will serve as a catalyst to bring the disciplines closer together and will give a high added value to the university.
see also: Tel Aviv University is establishing a center for small satellite technology
(The center is run by Prof. Colin Price, head of the Porter School of Environmental Studies, who led the initiative in collaboration with Dr. Meir Ariel, head of the Herzliya Science Center, whose students launched two Dokifat satellites and are building the third. AB)
Avi Blasberger, Director of the Space Agency at the Ministry of Science and Technology: "Since the first Ilan Ramon Conference, held in 2006, in memory of the late Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut, and members of the STS-107 mission team, the conference has gained status among international space conferences. This year, at the 13th conference, we decided to change the format in order to improve the academic side and preserve the engagement with space policy. To that end, we joined the Yuval Na'eman workshop for science, technology and security at Tel Aviv University.
After the successful launch of the Israeli-French Venus satellite, we decided to make the field of remote sensing the central field of the conference,
Dr. Daganit Paikovsky, the chairman of the conference, described the comprehensive program which, in addition to the field of remote sensing, included a panel of heads of space agencies, a panel of astronauts and moshavs who were involved in space entrepreneurship, and thanked everyone who helped organize the conference among the people of the workshop, the university, the Ministry of Science and the space agency.
For next year - Cyber
Major General (res.) Prof. Yitzhak Ben Israel, head of the Yuval Na'man workshop and at the same time chairman of the Israel Space Agency: "Israel is a small country, but we do our best to be part of the space club, which does not have many members in the world. There are still certain areas where we are somewhat ahead of other countries, one of which is cyber security. Take as food for thought: there is a risk that someone will use cyber to damage space assets. It's a mature enough technology to be taken seriously.
