Eight satellites developed by Israeli students from across the country were launched into space on Thursday.
Launched from NASA’s launch site in Florida, the satellites were sent to space using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launcher.
This event – the first time that eight satellites built by students were launched simultaneously – was part of the “Tevel Project” led by the Israel Space Agency, a department of the Science and Technology Ministry.
Tevel saw Israeli students from the secular, Arab and haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) sectors work with the great minds at the Herzliya Science Center to program, build and develop the satellites completely from scratch.
The history-making students come from all over the country, hailing from Ofakim, Yeruham and Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council in the Negev, Ma’ale Adumim in the West Bank, Giv’at Shmuel in central Israel and Kiryat Ata, Taibe and Nazareth in the North.
The satellites built by the students are more than a novelty – they will be able to communicate with ground control and will fulfill several tasks and conduct important scientific research.
The Israel Space Agency’s “Tevel Project” serves as an infrastructure to promote and advance space studies in Israel.