Israel has reached an agreement with NASA to send the first Israeli woman astronaut into space, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Gila Gamliel said on Monday.
The remarks come as Israel is expanding cooperation in space technology with longtime allies such as the U.S., Italy and Azerbaijan, as well as with regional parties to the landmark 2020 Abraham Accords such as the United Arab Emirates.
“I received a confirmation from NASA to send the first Israeli woman astronaut into space,” Gamliel said at the 20th Ilan Ramon International Space Conference in Tel Aviv. “We in Israel have now begun the process of searching for our candidate among our brave women.”
The annual event—named after the first Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, who died in the 2003 Columbia Space Shuttle disaster—promotes international collaboration and innovation in space exploration. This year’s conference was attended by Omran Sharaf, the UAE assistant foreign minister for advanced science and technology; and the president of the Italian Space Agency, Professor Teodoro Valente.
Valente signed an accord with his Israeli counterpart, Uri Oron, to develop a payload for a mission to the moon.
“Our space cooperation is really improving,” the Italian Space Agency president told JNS. “Just a few days ago our vice prime minister was here to support cooperation between our two countries—and space is one part of [that].”
“Israel, despite being a small country, stands at the global forefront of the space field and serves as a significant factor in leading international space programs,” President Isaac Herzog said in a recorded video address from New York, where he is attending the U.N. General Assembly’s event marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
“We are already promoting cooperation with countries that have signed the Abraham Accords, and I am confident that in the near future we will see additional cooperation which will contribute to both Israel and the international space community,” Herzog said.
Gamliel, who visited NASA’s Space Center in Houston in September, noted that nine nano-satellites built by Israeli high school students, including from a school along the Gaza border, will soon be sent into space aboard SpaceX rockets. The launch is slated to take place in March off the West Coast of the United States.
“We are building the future not just for ourselves, but for those who are no longer here,” said Or Ziner, a high school senior from southern Israel who headed the satellite project at her school, and who recounted growing up with rocket sirens warning of rockets from Gaza.
“My father’s mission was not just a historic one for Israel but for the entire Jewish community,” Ramon’s son Iftah said at the event. “The mission, a mix of different countries and cultures, became a symbol of pride, hope and possibility.”
“Twenty years ago, we began a journey that would transform how the world sees Israel’s place in space exploration,” Gamliel said. “By continuing to forge international partnerships and collaborations we aim to solidify Israel’s status as a global leader in the space industry while contributing to the advancement of global space exploration and innovation.”
