September 19, 1988
Israel launches Ofek 1 (ofek means horizon), its first space satellite, from an undisclosed location near the Mediterranean Sea. The 340-pound satellite orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes at distances of between 400 and 1,600 miles.
According to NASA, Ofek 1 makes Israel just the ninth country with satellite-launching capabilities. The satellite is a civilian project, and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres says, “This is not a weapon. This is not an arms race. This is technology.”
Still, Ofek 1 arouses fears from some of Israel’s neighbors that the launch is meant to enhance Israel’s ability to collect intelligence. The launch also shows that Israel possesses ballistic missile capability.
