The Ofek 16 satellite transmitted first images, but they remain classified

The satellite camera was activated tonight (between Monday and Tuesday) for the first time and sent the first images with a quality that was defined as "excellent" to the control station of the Aerospace Industry in Yehud. In this way, the aerospace industry and Elbit - the manufacturer of the Jupiter model camera - are getting closer to declaring full operational capability, progress has been made significantly. However, the Ministry of Defense chose not to send photographs from the satellite even of non-sensitive areas on Earth. Instead, send a video describing the preparations for the launch

The Ministry of Defense and the Aerospace Industry received the first images from the "Ofek 16" satellite. Since the launch last Monday, the Israel Aerospace Industries and Ministry of Defense teams conducted a planned series of tests, during which they gradually and in a controlled manner activated all the systems and subsystems that make up the satellite.
Upon completion of the process, the satellite camera was also successfully activated and the first images of excellent quality were downloaded to the control station of the Aerospace Industry in Yehud. In the coming weeks, the engineering teams will continue the rigorous testing process and the preparation of the satellite for operational use, in accordance with the pre-planned protocol.
However, the Ministry of Defense chose not to send photographs from the satellite even of non-sensitive areas on Earth. Instead, send a video describing the preparations for the launch.

The advanced electro-optical observation camera of the Ofek 16 satellite was developed by Elbit Systems. The announcement from the Ministry of Defense indicates that this is a camera with the best performance-to-weight ratio characteristics available on the market. In the coming weeks, after the completion of the testing procedure in space by the Aerospace Industry, Mafat and Aman, the Ministry of Defense will transfer the satellite to the responsibility of operating unit 9900 - the geographic intelligence unit.

The "Jupiter" simulation system is an advanced light-weight space camera that provides a spatial resolution of half a meter from an altitude of 600 km, and is intended for installation on microwaves and satellites. The "Jupiter" space camera is capable of panchromatic photography with very high resolution and the possibility of adding a multispectral channel. "Jupiter" is intended for a variety of military and civilian applications, including observation and military intelligence, investigation of high value targets, definition of small and isolated objects and environmental orientation. The civilian applications include tasks in the field of internal security, emergency planning and operations, environmental monitoring and infrastructure simulation.

Since the launch last Monday, the Israel Aerospace Industries and Ministry of Defense teams conducted a series of tests, during which they gradually and in a controlled manner activated all the systems and subsystems that make up the satellite. Upon completion of the process, the satellite camera was also successfully activated. In the coming weeks, the engineering teams will continue preparing the satellite for operational use.

In the coming weeks, after the completion of the testing procedure in space by the Aerospace Industry, Mafat and Aman, the Ministry of Defense will transfer the satellite to the responsibility of the IDF Satellite Unit 9900.
https://www.youtube.com/cards?v=WgB5GRy09xg
A video describing the preparations for the launch

The head of the Space Directorate at the Ministry of Defense, Amnon Harari, said: "This is the most significant milestone since the launch of the Ofek 16 satellite." The images we received from the satellite are of excellent quality. From here on, we continue the orderly process of transferring the satellite to operational, after which many years of bringing high-quality intelligence to the defense system await him."

The Vice President of the Aerospace Industry and the Director of the Missile and Space Systems Division, Boaz Levy, said: "Last week we carried out a complex process involving all the engineering teams, a process that culminated tonight with the receipt of the first images. This landmark reflects well the strategic and business capabilities of the aerospace industry and the partnership with the defense establishment and other defense industries. The Aerospace Industry will continue to advance the Israeli space program under the leadership of the Ministry of Defense, towards further operational achievements." The Ofek 16 satellite is an electro-optical observation satellite with advanced capabilities.

The head of the Space Directorate at the Ministry of Defense, Amnon Harari, commented on the progress of the stages: "This is the most significant milestone since the launch of the Ofek 16 satellite." The images we received from the satellite are of excellent quality. From here on, we continue the orderly process of transferring the satellite to operational, after which many years of bringing high-quality intelligence to the defense system await him."
The Vice President of the Aerospace Industry and the Director of the Missile and Space Systems Division, Boaz Levy, also commented on the first photos: "Last week, we carried out a complex process involving all the engineering teams, a process that culminated tonight with the receipt of the first photos. This landmark reflects well the strategic and business capabilities of the Aerospace Industry in the field of space and the partnership with the defense system and other defense industries."

More of the topic in Hayadan:

• The Ministry of Defense launched the Ofek 16 observation satellite this morning
• The Ofek 11 satellite is back in action and has sent the first images
• 20 years since the launch of Ofek 3 - the first military photography satellite that amazed even its developers with its performance