Ofeq-1

Ofeq, meaning 'Horizon', was a technology demonstration satellite developed by IAI (Israel Aircraft Industries) for ISA (Israel Space Agency). Israel became the eighth nation to launch an indigenous satellite when Ofeq 1 was placed into a unique retrograde low earth orbit. The full payload was not disclosed but included magnetometers and house-keeping / monitoring equipment. Later satellites with the same name would be operational optical surveillance satellites.

The only malfunction in Ofeq-1 was in telemetry memory; the computer switched to backup. Expected life was a few weeks but the satellite did not re-enter until January 14 because of a higher than expected orbit.

Announced functions of the satellite were: 1) Experimentation in generation of solar power; 2) Experimentation in transmission reception from space; 3) Verification of system's ability to withstand vacuum and weightless conditions; 4) Data collection on space environment conditions and Earth's magnetic field. The spacecraft was an irregular octagonal prism of conventional aluminum. Mass budget (kg): structure 33, power system 58, computer 7, communications 12, thermal control 5, wiring 9, instrumentation & balance masses 32. Ofeq was spin stabilized at 400 deg/sec, and the 16 solar panels provided 246 W and recharged a 7 Ah NiCd battery; typical consumption was 53 W. S-band telemetry was returned at 2.5 kbit/s from a 128 kbyte memory. Attitude sensing was provided by a 3-axis rate gyro, magnetometer and Sun sensor. Any payload was classified except for the magnetometers and housekeeping monitoring functions.

Design Life: weeks - months. Typical orbit: 248x1170 km, 142.86 deg, retrograde orbit. Length: 2.30 m (7.50 ft). Maximum Diameter: 1.20 m (3.90 ft). Mass: 157 kg (346 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Shavit.

• 1988 September 19 - Ofeq-1 - Program: Offeq. Launch Site: Palmachim. Launch Vehicle: Shavit. Mass: 155 kg (341 lb). Perigee: 250 km (150 mi). Apogee: 1,149 km (713 mi). Inclination: 142.90 deg. Period: 98.80 min.

  First Israeli launch; possibly experimental surveillance mission. Experimental satellite 'Offeq-1'. Launch time 0934 GMT. Location: site on the coast south of Tel-Aviv. Launching organization: Israel Aircraft Industries, Ltd (IAI) and Israeli Space Agency (ISA). Function: 1) Experimentation in generation of solar power; 2) Experimentation in transmission reception from space; 3) Verification of system's ability to withstand vacuum and weightless conditions; 4) Data collection on space environment conditions and Earth's magnetic field.

• 1990 April 3 - Ofeq-2 - Program: Offeq. Launch Site: Palmachim. Launch Vehicle: Shavit. Mass: 160 kg (350 lb). Perigee: 149 km (92 mi). Apogee: 251 km (155 mi). Inclination: 143.20 deg. Period: 88.50 min.

  Communication experiments.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

• Krebs, Gunter, Gunter's Space Page, University of Frankfurt, 1996. Accessed at: http://www.skyrocket.de/space.

• JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Accessed at: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.

• USAF Satellite Database, USAF Institute of Technology, 1995. Accessed at: ftp://archive.afit.af.mil/pub/space/.