Israel launched a new spy satellite on Tuesday to improve intelligence in the face of Iran's build up of nuclear arms. Called Ofek 9, the satellite was launched from the Palmahim air base along the Mediterranian coast.
"This provides Israel with greater operational flexibility, since we now have another set of eyes on a target", Chaim Eshed, director of MAFAT said. Israel failed to launch the Ofek 6 which fell into the sea in its third boost stage. Last week South Korea failed to launch their satellite and India also failed, so the launch is a great relief for Israel.
While it does not represent a significant technological breakthrough, it will carry a camera that's a bit more advanced than the one aboard the Ofek 7. Israel's last satellite TecSar, was launched from India in 2008 and can create high-resolution images using advanced technology enabling it to produce pictures in all weather conditions, even at night.
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