The cooperation will include the joint development of satellites in the fields of communication and observation, and it will enable, among other things, the development of hyperspectral observation satellites, which have many uses in the fields of environmental quality, agriculture, detection of contamination in water and air, and more.
Science and Technology Minister Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz, who is staying at the Paris Air Show, signed a cooperation agreement in research and space missions between the Israeli and Italian space agencies yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon.
The cooperation will include the joint development of satellites in the fields of communication and observation, and it will enable, among other things, the development of hyperspectral observation satellites, which have many uses in the fields of environmental quality, agriculture, detection of contamination in water and air, and more.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz said that "Israel and Italy are pioneering and leading in this unique technology. The cooperation between Israel and Italy in the development of satellites will contribute significantly both to the Israeli economy and to the environment and the agricultural sector in Israel."
The cooperation agreement was signed today at a meeting held in Paris as part of the La Bourge air show by the Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz and Dr. Zvi Kaplan, head of the Israeli Space Agency, and from the Italian side - Mr. Enrico Segesa, head of the Italian Space Agency.
The areas in which the cooperation will be conducted include: space research, including exchanges of researchers and academic staff members from both countries, space science and space travel, observations towards the country, including imaging radar applications and sensors based on hyper-spectral technologies, communication in space, utilization Ground instruments and infrastructure to support missions in space.
The agreement opens the door for long-term cooperation between the two space agencies. A joint team of the two agencies is now busy formulating a plan for joint research to carry out a joint plan for hyperspectral observations towards the country with the goal of launching into space an Israeli satellite that will carry a multi-color camera operating in a variety of frequency ranges, including in the infrared range, with the intention of developing an industrial infrastructure for the provision of decoding services and decoding products which have great significance for the discovery of minerals, for field crops, conservation of soil and water bodies, monitoring and maintaining environmental quality.
The program for hyperspectral observations will require financial investments in the amount of tens of millions of euros from both sides.
It is worth mentioning that in 2005 the Israeli and French space agencies signed a cooperation agreement under which a "Venus" satellite will be launched into space towards the end of 2011, carrying a multi-color camera for research missions and an Israeli spacecraft ion propulsion system. The scope of the government investment in the Venus program is 30 million dollars. In addition to these amounts, IAI and Rafael add significant amounts from their own sources.
