Israel successfully launched the Ofek 16 spy satellite into orbit early Monday morning, the Defense Ministry and Israel Aerospace Industries said in a joint statement. The satellite was launched at 4 am using a Shavit launch vehicle from a site in central Israel.
"The Defense Ministry and Israel Aerospace Industries successfully launched into space the reconnaissance satellite Ofek 16, which entered into orbit," the ministry said in a statement.
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Ofek 16 is an "optoelectronic reconnaissance satellite with advanced capabilities," the ministry said. It was the latest satellite in the Ofek series to be launched into space, following the Ofek 11, which entered orbit in 2016.
"Under the original launch plan, [Ofek-16] entered orbit around the Earth and began to beam back data," the Defense Ministry said, adding that engineers would be running a series of checks "until the satellite enters full operation shortly."
Once operational, the satellite will be operated by the Israel Defense Forces' Unit 9900, a visual intelligence detachment that controls all of the nation's spy satellites.
"The State of Israel's technological and intelligence superiority is the cornerstone of its security," Defense Minister Benny Gantz wrote on Twitter. "We'll continue to strengthen and fortify Israel's strength on every front and every place."
Israel is one of only 13 countries in the world capable of launching satellites into space. The first satellite in the Ofek series was launched in 1988. Today there are five Ofek-series satellites in orbit, not including the Ofek 16.
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