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Israeli Spy Satellite Crashes
Into Sea After Launch
| JERUSALEM - Israel's new-generation
spy satellite Ofek 6 failed a launch attempt yesterday and crashed into
the Mediterranean Sea after a technical malfunction, the Defense Ministry
said. "The source of the malfunction in the third stage is being investigated
by experts from the MOD and the involved industries," it said. The ministry said the satellite crashed into the sea after a launcher malfunction. "The satellite did not explode. There was apparently a (launcher) malfunction in the third stage ... (and) it sank into the Mediterranean Sea hundreds of kilometers from shore," the ministry said. The satellite is seen as a major asset for Israel's military intelligence services, and is considered one of the most advanced in the world, the radio said. The satellite and its launcher were developed by a consortium of high-tech industries including Israel Military Industries, Rafael, Elbit Systems and Elisra. Meanwhile, according to press reports, Israel is considering using a satellite to take pictures of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, including unauthorized outposts in the occupied territory. The Haaretz newspaper said the Defense Ministry was mulling over the idea to compare its information with pictures taken by US observation satellites and to help determine the future enlargement of some 130 settlements. A team from Washington is expected in Israel shortly to discuss the continued settlement activity in the West Bank as well as the failure to dismantle all but a handful of outposts not been sanctioned by the government. Washington has given Israel tacit support for "natural growth" projects in the larger West Bank settlements in apparent contravention of the US-backed road map peace plan, but insists that building work be restricted to within the municipal boundaries of each settlement. The proposal was also raised in light of the difficulty in getting accurate data on West Bank settlements. But relying on satellite pictures would involve modifying the path of Israel's Amos-2 satellite, which the paper said would be complex as it underlined that no such decision had been taken at this stage. |
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