“We are communicating with it,” Harari and Doron said. “We still do not know if there are problems. We are carrying out widespread checks. There are indications that things are not working as we expected.”
Ofek 11, part of the Ofek series, was supposed to become Israel’s sixth active spy satellite. The troubled launch follows the loss of Amos 6, an Israeli civilian communications satellite, which was destroyed when its SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher blew up on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on September 1.
Two years ago, the Defense Ministry and IAI successfully launched Ofek 10 into space aboard a Shavit (Comet) space launch vehicle. That satellite carries synthetic aperture radar, which has advanced day and night imaging capabilities.
"There are indications according to which things aren't working as we expected, and so we are trying to stabilize (the satellite). There are things that make us worried. The satellite orbits the earth once every hour and a half. It's possible that some systems are not in the correct condition," officials told the press Tuesday.
Since the Ofek 11 is an observation satellite, as opposed to a communication satellite, it is not constantly accessible to crews on the ground. Moreover, since the operators only have access to it for short periods once a day, it will take some time—perhaps a few days—until they know if it will ultimately prove to be a success.
If the Ofek 11 does maintain enough of its functions to be useful, it will mainly serve the IDF and other security organizations in Israel. Its observation systems were designed to surpass those of previous iterations in the Ofek satellite series.
Quelle: SUN BAT YAM
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Israel Concerned About 'Behavior' of Latest Spy Satellite – Ofek 11
TEL AVIV – Israel used its indigenous Shavit launcher on Tuesday to loft Ofek 11, its latest and most advanced spy satellite, into space, but program officials say they are concerned by its “behavior” and are unsure whether it will successfully fulfill its intended eight-year remote sensing mission.
Israel’s new spy satellite ‘not functioning’ as expected
IAI, Defense Ministry fear system errors as they try to ‘stabilize’ the newly launched Ofek-11 recon satellite
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The Israel Aerospace Industries satellite was successfully put into orbit using a Shavit rocket, a locally produced space launch vehicle, the head of the Defense Ministry’s Space Department, Amnon Harari, told reporters.
However, in the hours after the launch, it was “not clear that everything was in order,” he said.
Due to the rotation of the Earth, the teams on the ground are only able to make contact with the satellite “once every few hours,” something that makes the work of the engineering teams “sevenfold more difficult,” said Doron Ofer, CEO of the Israel Aerospace Industries’ Space Division.
“We have downloaded some figures, and we are now checking them. It’s not functioning exactly the way we expected, and we don’t know what it’s status is,” Ofer said.
“We are now working to stabilize it, but it will take some time because of the small amount of communication we have with it when it comes in our area,” he said.
The satellite was shot into space from the Palmachim Air Base, just outside the Tel Aviv suburb of Rishon Lezion, at 5:40 p.m., Harari said.
Israel’s Ofek-10 satellite takes off from Palmachim Air Base in central Israel on April 9, 2014. (Ministry of Defense and Israel Aerospace Industries)
The Ofek-11 is an upgrade from the Ofek-10 satellite launched in April 2014. However, Ofer would not discuss what exact improvements were made to the design of the satellite to make it superior to its predecessor.
The Ofek-11 was to join approximately 10 other satellites, including the Ofek-10, Ofek-9, Ofek-7 and Ofek-5, that feed intelligence to Israel’s security forces.
The Amos-6, Israel’s largest ever satellite, and the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on which it was perched go up in flames after the rocket exploded on the launch pad during a static fire test at a launch facility at Cape Canaveral in Florida on September 1, 2016. (YouTube screen capture)
The launch came less than two weeks after the civilian Amos-6 communications satellite was destroyed when the SpaceX rocket carrying it exploded on the launchpad in Cape Canaveral, Florida during a pre-launch test.
Facebook had planned to use the satellite, which was built by Israeli company Spacecom, to beam high-speed internet to sub-Saharan Africa.
Quelle: START-UP ISRAEL
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Update: 15.09.2016
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Israel's Defense Ministry sources believe that despite possible malfunctions, it will be possible to stabilize the satellite launched earlier this week.
Defense sources today expressed optimism about the situation of the state-of-the-art Ofek 11 Israeli surveillance satellite, which was launched into space from the air force's trial field at Palmachim. Yesterday, three hours after the satellite was launched with a powerful Shavit rocket, defense sources expressed concern about malfunctions liable to disrupt its functioning. Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) (TASE: ARSP.B1) manufactured the satellite for the Ministry of Defense.
The 400-kilogram satellite, equipped with an advanced camera from Elbit Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq: ESLT; TASE: ESLT), is designed to enhance Israel's intelligence gathering capabilities in areas of interest by providing high-quality images of small objects. The Ofek 11, one of the most advanced satellites developed and manufactured at IAI's MABAT division, is designed to give Israel's intelligence system another eye in space.
"The satellite is definitely not lost"
The launch of the satellite - a difficult and perilous task in itself - was successful. Shortly afterwards, it entered its orbit for circling the earth every 90 minutes at a height of 600 kilometers. A few hours after the launch, however, when it was spotted at the IAI ground station in Yehud, and a number of orders were transmitted to it in the course of testing its functioning, the Ministry of Defense received alarming indications of a malfunction.
Ofek 11 satellite encounters problems
Israel launches Ofek 11 surveillance satellite
The Ministry of Defense and IAI declined to specify the circumstances of the malfunction, but had trouble concealing their anxiety. "It is still unclear whether everything is in order," Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure (MAFAT) head Brig. Gen. (Res) Amnon Harari said. "We are working to stabilize it. There are indications that things are happening other than what we expected - technical details within the satellite. We are not completely optimistic, nor are we completely pessimistic."
According to IAI/MBT CEO Ofer Doron, it will take several days to tell for sure whether the satellite's systems are functioning properly. Defense sources explained that several days were needed in order to monitor the functioning of the satellite's systems at Ovda, which it overflies every 90 minutes on its way around the earth. When it passes over its ground station, it can be contacted for a few minutes while orders are being transmitted and messages received; the information is then processed and analyzed by many engineers.
Launched in the framework of the Ministry of Defense's regular work program, the Ofek 11 was designed to ensure high-quality intelligence coverage even in the event of a failure in the satellite's launching or functioning. Israel has other intelligence satellites in space - both observation satellites and radar satellites from the Ofek series - capable of providing high-quality visual information about various field conditions all over the world, even at night and in difficult weather conditions. "The Ministry of Defense has a multi-year program managing a quantity of space satellites, I won't say how many, and more satellites are being built," a defense source said.
Today, almost 24 hours after the launch, defense sources were more optimistic about the fate of the Ofek 11: "The satellite is definitely not lost. Communication is taking place between it and the ground station, and there is cautious optimism about yesterday. In any case, we will not be blind," one of the sources said.
Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies Space & UAV Research Center head Tal Inbar told "Globes" today that assessment of the malfunctions in the satellite was likely to continue for a few days, until it is possible to start generating solutions. "A satellite is a very complex system, based on electrical, computer, orientation, photovoltaic cells, antennas, batteries, and other systems. All of these systems have to work perfectly. When there is a single malfunction, it affects all the rest of the systems, and vice versa," Inbar explained. "In the past, there were cases around the world in which satellites suffered from malfunctions of some kind, and worked for years at reduced capacity, such as research missions or remote sensing tasks. Sometimes you learn to live with the limitations. As I said, in this case, it's too early to tell."
Two weeks ago, the Amos 6 satellite, developed and manufactured for IAI by Spacecom Satellite Communications Ltd. (TASE:SCC), exploded in Florida, following what appeared to be a malfunction in a Falcon 9 rocket being refueled for launching. For still unclear reasons, the rocket on which the satellite had already been installed in the framework of the preparations for launching it exploded and caught fire. There is no connection between the malfunction in the Ofek 11 satellite and the explosion of the Amos 6, other than a proximity in time and coincidence.
Quelle:GLOBES