Ofek-11 spy satellite ‘not functioning’ as expected

The Ofek-11 reconnaissance satellite launched Tuesday may be malfunctioning, officials involved in the project say, though they have been able to make contact with the craft.

The Israel Aerospace Industries satellite was successfully put into orbit using a Shavit rocket, a locally produced space launch vehicle, Amnon Harari, head of the Defense Ministry’s Space Department, tells reporters.

However, in the hours after the launch, it was “not clear if everything was in order,” he says.

Due to the rotation of the Earth, the teams on the ground are only able to make contact with the satellite “once every few hours,” something that makes the work of the engineering teams on the ground “sevenfold more difficult,” Doron Ofer, CEO of the Israel Aerospace Industries’ Space Division, says.

“We have downloaded some figures, and we are now checking them. It’s not functioning exactly the way we expected, and we don’t know what it’s status is,” Ofer says.

“We are now working to stabilize it, but it will take some time because of the small amount of communication we have with it when it comes in our area,” he says.