Ofeq 3

Israel

International Sat. n°:

Israelian spacecraft n°: 4
Means "Horizon 3"

Launch data:

Designation 23549 / 95018A
Launch date 05 Apr 1995 - 11:16
Launch site Palmachim Airbase
Launch vehicle  Shavit-1 (#4)
Mission Military: reconnaissance
Earth orbit:
Perigee/Apogee 369/730 km
Inclination 143.37° (retrograd orbit)
Period 95.64 min

Reported by Israel's media as the first spy satellite... but it's most likely not a fullyfleged spy satellite.

Ofeq 3 is the first of the second-generation light satellites for Israel. The system is being proposed and marketed by Israel Aircraft Industries and MLM System Engineering and Integration to carry payloads for astronomy and remote sensing purposes. The light-weight electro-optical scanner or Earth Resources Monitoring System carried aboard this mission was developed by El-Op. Equipped with a high-resolution camera.

Specifications

Prime contractor IAI
Platform  
Mass at launch 225 kg
Payload mass 36 kg
Shape octagon based box + solar panels
Dimension: Height: 2.3 m
Lower base diameter: 1.2 m
Upper base diameter: 0.7 m
Solar panels area: 3.6 m²
Stabilization 3-axis
DC power 180 W
Telemetry transmission rate: 15 kb/s
Telecommand data rate: 5 kb/s

End of life

Out of service: late 1997
Decay: 24 Oct 2000

After Israel Space Agency, the satellite might be working 2 more years.

Ref: #5, #15, #78a - update: 23.05.02