Israeli satellite launched to spy on Iranian nuclear facilities

Haaretz
Apr. 26, 2006

The international ImageSat company launched the Eros B high-resolution reconnaissance satellite from Siberia Tuesday night, a move that will help Israel spy on Iranian nuclear facilities.

The ground control station, located in the Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) complex in Yehud, will be able to control the satellite's navigation and keep it stationed for an extended time over particularly sensitive targets such as the Iranian nuclear reactor, which is too far for Israeli drones to reach. The satellite, which Israeli companies were involved in developing, will also be able to provide images of launch sites for long-range Iranian missiles.

A Russian official said Tuesday that the satellite had reached orbit after 20 minutes, but experts said it would be some time before it could be determined if the satellite was operational.

A senior defense officials said it would take seven to 10 days to see whether the images that are transmitted are sharp and clear, he said.

The satellite, which weighs 290 kilograms, is capable of identifying separate objects on the ground as close as 70 centimeters apart.

That level of resolution would allow Israel to gather information on Iran's nuclear program and its long-range missiles, which are capable of striking Israel, the defense official said.

"The most important thing in a satellite is its ability to photograph and its resolution," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive subject matter. "This satellite has very high resolution, and Israel Aircraft Industries has a great ability to process information that is relayed."

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz lauded the successful launch, which he called a "major achievement of the defense industries and of Israel."

The Eros B satellite will be joining the Eros A, which was launched by ImageSat aboard a Russian Start-1 launch vehicle on December 5, 2000. In contrast to the Eros B, its predecessor can distinguish between images only if they are at least 1.5 meters apart.

ImageSat is a commercial provider of high-resolution, satellite earth imagery collected by Eros - an acronym for Earth Remote Observation Satellite.

ImageSat's offices in Tel Aviv supervised the construction of the Eros satellites and the operation of the company's main ground control station. The satellite camera was co-developed by IAI and El-Op Electro-Optics Industries, a research and development firm from Rehovot.