The Israeli satellites Venus and Offset 3000 will be launched next week from French Guinea

The first image of Venus will be from Israel * Science Minister Akunis: an important national event * Yossi Weiss, CEO of the Aerospace Industry: "Aside from the significant work in the field of observation satellites, we are approaching the point of no return in the loss of Israel's capabilities in the field of communication satellites. I call on the Israeli government to make an immediate decision on the matter"

The advanced observation satellite OPTSAT3000, intended for use by the Italian Ministry of Defense and the satellite for agricultural monitoring and environmental research "Venus" built for the Israeli Space Agency at the Ministry of Science and Technology and the French Space Agency CNES, were developed and built by the Aerospace Industry and will be launched into space together on 2.8.17 (04:58 Israel time) On top of Arianespace's Vega European launcher from the Koro launch site, in French Guinea.

Yossi Weiss, CEO of the Aerospace Industry: "The satellites that will be launched in the coming days are the splendor of Israeli technology and reflect Israel's international activity in the field of space and the exceptional cooperation with Italy and France. The regular observation satellite program of the State of Israel enables development and production for local needs and for export, and is maintained thanks to a clear government policy in the field."

"On the eve of the launch, I call on the Israeli government to also make the necessary decisions regarding the future of communication satellites in Israel. Since the loss of Amos 6 about 10 months ago, no decision has been made regarding the future of the field, which will ultimately lead to the loss of the knowledge and technological capabilities gained. We are approaching the point of no return that will lead to the elimination of Israel's capabilities in the field of communication satellites against our will." Weiss says.

"Venus" - the first Israeli satellite for environmental research purposes - will be launched on August 2, 2017 aboard the "Vega" launcher from French Guinea. The satellite, the flagship project of the Israeli Space Agency at the Ministry of Science and the French Space Agency (CNES), is currently being prepared for launch at the Ariane Space company's space base and is scheduled for launch from the European Space Center in Koro at 04:58 am (Israel time).

Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis: "Israel is known throughout the world for its boldness and innovation, elements that are also reflected in the technological development of Venus. We are proud to see how the many years of work of Israel's best engineers and researchers, led by the Israeli Space Agency and the French Space Agency, is expected to reach its culmination in the expected launch."

Environmental research satellites have gained increasing importance in recent years mainly in light of the earth's environmental problems such as population density, depletion of agricultural and food areas, infections and natural disasters. Venus, built in recent years at a space plant of the Israel Aerospace Industries, is the first civilian Israeli satellite built at the initiative of the Israel Space Agency in the Ministry of Science and is considered the smallest of its kind in the world. The satellite will monitor fields and natural areas from space for environmental research purposes, while monitoring soil condition, vegetation, forestry, agriculture, quality of water bodies and more.

Venus is equipped with a special camera that can pick up details on the Earth's surface in 12 wavelengths, including details that are not visible to the eye. The satellite will photograph fixed areas in Israel and around the world and will provide researchers with dozens of images every day, each of which will cover approximately 760 square kilometers. The satellite orbit allows a return time of once every two days to photograph the same areas and from the same viewing angle. Venus will circle the Earth 29 times in 48 hours and provide images once every two days while returning to exactly the same shooting angle, which will allow frequent changes in vegetation, soil, beaches, inland water bodies and atmosphere to be detected. The combination of these features is unique to Venus, and they give it an advantage over other environmental satellites currently operating in space.

At launch, the satellite will weigh 265 kg, making it the lightest satellite to operate in space. From the moment of launch until it enters its orbit in space, exactly one hour 37 minutes and 18 seconds will pass. The first signal from the satellite, indicating that it is working, should be received by the ground station in Israel after about five and a half hours from the moment of launch. The satellite will enter a sun-synchronized orbit at an altitude of 720 km within two days of launch. First simulations for the purpose of examining the satellite's performance, which Venus will photograph in Israel, will be received about a week after the launch and the post-processing simulations will be distributed to users about three months after the launch. Venus is planned to operate in space for 4.5 years after which it will be shifted to a lower orbit.

Venus will photograph about 110 different and permanent research areas around the world once every two days. When it passes over Israel, Venus will photograph three photographic strips along its entire length: in the Galilee, the coastal plain including the nearby strip of sea, and the Negev. These will include most of the national parks and nature reserves, forests and ecological stations. The photos will be presented for the benefit of researchers at universities, government authorities and government research institutes.

Venus will transmit data to a receiving station in northern Sweden and from there the data will go to preliminary processing at the French Space Agency where it will be concentrated under the leadership of French researcher Gerard Dadio. The photos of Israel will arrive at the research center at the Sde Boker campus of Ben Gurion University of the Negev headed by Prof. Arnon Karneali, a center that is an operational arm of the Ministry of Science and Technology. In Israel, the Israel Space Agency invested about NIS 5 million in the Ministry of Science to carry out research on the satellite products. One of the first research projects that will use satellite imaging is for high school students from Rishon Lezion and Rehovot with an investment of half a million shekels from the agency.

Lunas is also the first innovative technological mission of its kind in which they will try to prove the feasibility of a plasma-based electric propulsion system developed by Rafael. Using an electric propulsion system saves fuel and the weight of the satellite, to increase the weight of the equipment for research purposes.

Venus is indeed a joint project between Israel and France, but all the satellite's hardware components were developed in Israel's space industries. Thus, in addition to the aerospace industry that built the body of the satellite and integrated the components into it, the Elbit company developed the unique camera, and Rafael developed the propulsion system. As a result, the entire satellite is the fruit of blue-white construction and development.

A site dedicated to the Venus satellite

More of the topic in Hayadan:

• Mabat Halal director: A foreign company will build Amos 8
• The head of the French Space Agency at the ceremony of handing over the Venus satellite for launch: "Space missions are of great importance in the fight against global warming"
• The "Venus" environmental research satellite leaves Israel on its way to launch. Minister Aconis: "Looking forward to more opportunities for cooperation with France"