Letters

Ofeq

1 Was a Demonstration Satellite

In the




“T




his




Week in S




pace




History”




[Sept. 17, page 24],




there is a mistake regarding Israel’s first satellite,




Ofeq
1. It is described as the first remote sensing satellite of Israel, but this is not true.




Ofeq 1 was a demonstrator satellite




and carried no remote sensing equipment. The first remote sensing of Israel was the Ofeq 3, which launched




April 15, 1995,




seven years after the launch of Ofeq 1.

Tal
Inbar

Head, Space Research Center

Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies, Israel