Israel to launch three satellites into space

Israel will launch three satellites today as part of the Adelis-SAMSON project.

The project is spearheaded by the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The satellites, each roughly the size of a shoebox, contain groundbreaking technology that will allow them to operate on 1 gram of fuel per day. They will be tasked with tracking emergency locator beacons used by ships and planes, which will allow faster response times in the event of an emergency.

The launch continues a pattern of Israeli innovation in space, with Tel Aviv University launching its own satellite four weeks ago. The nanosatellites launched by Technion have the potential to revolutionise the fields of geolocation and environmental monitoring. Furthermore, their venture into space travel is likely to provide new areas of cooperation with other nations.

Expect Israel to continue substantial investment into space travel in the long term, given its likely technological and diplomatic benefits. The Ministry of Science and Technology has already discussed space cooperation with the UAE (which recently launched a probe headed to Mars) after the two nations normalised diplomatic relations in August 2020. This could lead to greater regional cooperation in science and technology as tensions ease between Israel and some of its Arab neighbours.

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