SpaceX launches ‘Dror-1' Israeli communications satellite

Israel’s new national communications satellite, “Dror-1,” was launched into space on Sunday morning, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced.

Designed to meet Israel’s national communication needs, the Israeli-made satellite lifted off at 8 a.m. local time from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Weighing 4.5 tons and with an 18-meter wingspan, Dror-1 separated from its launcher approximately 40 minutes after liftoff and began independently orbiting the Earth. The satellite is expected to reach its final geostationary orbit, 36,000 kilometers above the equator, within about two weeks following a series of maneuvers.

Dror-1 was developed and manufactured by IAI to ensure the country’s industrial and technological independence in this strategically vital sector. Its geostationary position will allow for continuous and flexible communication coverage for various government systems.

“Israel Aerospace Industries has led the nation’s space program since the 1980s, when the first observation satellite, Ofek-1, was launched. Since then, IAI has developed, produced, and launched additional communications and observation satellites for national, civilian, and scientific missions both in Israel and abroad,” the company said.

Over the coming weeks, IAI engineers will perform a series of tests designed to verify the satellite’s successful operation. From then on, it will embark on its multi-year journey in space as the State of Israel’s national communications satellite.

“‘Dror 1' is the most advanced communications satellite ever built in Israel, designed to preserve this national strategic capability in the country while providing Israel with essential satellite communications capabilities for years to come,” said IAI President Boaz Levy.