Ofek, Israel’s first space satellite, re-entered the atmosphere and disintegrated Sunday, 118 days after it was launched on Sept. 19.
It had remained in orbit almost four times longer than the one-month life expectancy calculated by the Israel Space Agency and Israel Aircraft Industries, the prime contractor in its construction.
Israel expects to launch its second space satellite, Ofek-2, within 18 to 24 months.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
