spacetoday.net: Israeli spysat launch fails

Posted: Mon, Sep 6, 2004, 10:38 PM ET (0238 GMT)
Shavit launch (IAI)

The launch of an Israeli reconnaissance satellite Monday failed because of an apparent problem with the rocket's upper stage. A Shavit booster lifted off from Israel's launch site at Palmachim Air Base at 6:53 am EDT (1053 GMT, 1:53 pm local time) Monday, carrying the Ofek 6 reconnaissance satellite. The launch initially proceeded as planned, but the third and final stage of the booster failed, sending the satellite into the Mediterranean Sea. The cause of the malfunction wasn't immediately known; the Israeli Ministry of Defense and Israel Aircraft Industries, which built the launch vehicle, will investigate the launch failure. Ofek 6 is the latest in a series of low Earth orbit reconnaissance satellites developed by Israel to provide imagery of the Middle East. The failure is not expected to pose an immediate problem for the Israeli military since an existing satellite, Ofek 5, was launched in 2002 is expected to operate for several more years. The failure is the second for the Shavit booster, which is used exclusively to launch the Ofek satellites; another Shavit failed in 1998 launching Ofek 4.