Shavit.

This is coolbert:

How many people realize that Israel has a pretty formidable space capability?

For some time now [decades?], have been launching their OWN satellites into orbit. Have their own rocket for doing so, the Shavit! Sometimes, also, use Russian or Indian launch vehicles to put satellites in orbit.

Satellites that include the:

* EROS. Primarily a COMMERCIAL photographic satellite.

* AMOS. Communication satellite.

* Ofek [Ofeq]. Advanced military photo-recon satellite.

EROS and Ofek are “spy” satellites with photo-recon cameras and TV real-time broadcast ability on-board.

Several generations of these satellites have been built and put into orbit. Each generation of course having greater and greater capability! AT LEAST EQUAL to what is available to world powers such as the U.S. and Russia??!!

Primarily based upon formidable indigenous Israeli technology?! NOT merely copies of foreign equipment! Israel is a small nation that HAS A BIG STICK by any measure.

"Both the satellites and the launchers were designed and manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)."

As is usual with the Israeli, DOES THINGS THEIR OWN WAY! Have observed how foreign nations exploit space for military purposes, in the process finding improved and unique ways of “doing things”. Such as:

* Put satellites into sun-synchronous orbit.

"Ofeq's east-to-west orbit at 36 degrees inclination is phased to give optimal daylight coverage of the Middle East."

"The satellite orbits earth in a sun synchronous orbit, so that its imaged target is always in daylight.

* Launch counter to the rotation of the earth.

"Ofeq satellites are launched westward (retrograde orbit) over the Mediterranean to avoid flying and dropping spent rocket stages over populated areas in Israel and neighboring Arab countries."

[as you might well imagine, the Israeli is MOST interested in what occurs in the Middle East. BUT, not necessarily confined to!]

And this also. If you have a missile that can put a satellite into orbit, you have a launch system that can basically, if so desired, deliver a nuclear weapon to any point on the planet.

"Ofeq 5, was launched 28 May 2002 . . . Some observers believe that the 300 kg weight of the satellite, combined with the additional propulsive requirements [counter to the rotation of the earth] of the retrograde orbit, constitute a de facto demonstration of the Shavit's ICBM potential."

coolbert.