After discovering the limits of relying on American satellite intelligence, Israel developed its own launch vehicle, giving the country an independent way to put reconnaissance satellites into orbit and monitor threats across the Middle East.
By Hezy Laing
Israel’s decision to develop its own space rocket was driven by a national security problem that became painfully clear during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
As Egyptian and Syrian forces launched their surprise attack, Israeli military officials in Washington urgently requested American satellite photographs showing enemy troop movements and positions.
According to a historical study published by the CIA, American officials responded that the information was unavailable because of alleged satellite damage, and the photographs that were eventually obtained arrived too late to help during the fighting.
The experience reinforced a troubling reality: Israel could not assume that another country would always provide the intelligence it needed, precisely when it needed it.
The problem continued after the war. In December 1975, Israel formally requested a $1 billion American satellite system, and in April 1981, it again sought either its own American reconnaissance satellite or direct access to an existing one.
Neither request succeeded.
American intelligence-sharing policies also changed with political circumstances. After Israel destroyed Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor in 1981, US intelligence officials restricted routine access to satellite photographs of areas beyond 250 miles of Israel’s borders, leaving additional requests subject to individual approval.
For Israel, this was an unacceptable vulnerability. A country facing threats across several borders needed to decide for itself what areas to monitor, when to collect intelligence and how to use the information.
Developing its own satellites and launch rocket would provide that independence.
The rocket that changed everything
Israel’s answer was Shavit, a domestically developed rocket whose name means “comet” in Hebrew.
Developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), with contributions from other Israeli defense companies, Shavit drew on technology associated with the Jericho-2 ballistic missile program.
On September 19, 1988, Shavit successfully launched Ofek-1, Israel’s first satellite, into orbit.
The achievement made Israel the eighth country in history to demonstrate the ability to launch its own satellite into orbit using an independently developed rocket.
The seven countries that achieved this before Israel were the Soviet Union, the United States, France, Japan, China, the United Kingdom and India.
The achievement remains remarkable. According to the OECD’s 2026 space economy report, only 12 countries had demonstrated independent orbital launch capability by May 2026, meaning just 11 others share this distinction with Israel.
Why the rocket flies west
Shavit has one particularly unusual feature: it launches westward over the Mediterranean Sea rather than eastward like most satellite rockets.
This is a deliberate security decision. An eastward launch would send the rocket over neighboring countries, creating the risk of discarded rocket stages falling onto foreign territory or populated areas.
Launching westward avoids that problem, but it also creates a technical disadvantage.
Rockets traveling eastward benefit from the Earth’s rotation, which provides additional speed as they climb toward orbit. Shavit must overcome this disadvantage by flying in the opposite direction.
Consequently, it carries smaller payloads than many larger international launch vehicles, making it particularly suited to Israel’s compact Ofek reconnaissance satellites.
Three stages of Israeli engineering
Shavit is a three-stage rocket powered entirely by solid-fuel motors.
Each stage contains its own fuel and engine. Once its fuel is exhausted, that section separates, allowing the next stage to continue accelerating the satellite toward orbit.
Solid fuel also simplifies launch preparation because it can be stored inside the rocket rather than loaded immediately before liftoff.
According to IAI, Shavit has a lifting capacity of approximately 380 kilograms, making it a relatively small launcher by international standards.
An advantage that continues today
The rocket’s most important contribution has been supporting the Ofek series of reconnaissance satellites, which provide Israel with its own intelligence-gathering capabilities.
On September 2, 2025, Israel successfully launched Ofek-19 aboard another three-stage Shavit rocket. The satellite uses advanced radar technology to produce detailed images, including at night and through cloud cover.
Nearly four decades after Ofek-1 first reached orbit, the program continues to provide Israel with an important strategic advantage.
Following the first launch in 1988, former Mossad chief Meir Amit captured the importance of the achievement in a remark recorded by the CIA’s historical study:
“If you are fed from the crumbs of others according to their whim, this is very inconvenient and very difficult. If you have your own independent capability, you climb one level higher.”
For Israel, Shavit represented exactly that transformation: moving from dependence on foreign intelligence and launch capabilities to possessing the means to put its own eyes in space.
