Israel’s newest spy satellite has beamed back its first images, nearly two weeks after it was launched into orbit, the Defense Ministry says.
“About two weeks after its successful launch into space, the engineering teams… yesterday for the first time activated the [synthetic aperture] radar of the Ofek 19 satellite and downloaded the first images from the satellite,” the ministry says.
The ministry does not release copies of these initial photographs to the public.
The Ofek 19 satellite was launched on September 2 in a joint operation by the Defense Ministry’s Space Department and the Israel Aerospace Industries.
According to the ministry, since the launch, teams from both organizations have been performing checks on the satellite to ensure it is operating correctly.
Once operational, the satellite will be handed over to the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 9900, a visual intelligence detachment that controls all of the nation’s spy satellites.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Monday, September 15, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
