By Ma’ayan Wolfe, Hasbara Fellowships High School Intern
Israel is renowned for its inventions, discoveries, and its continuously growing tech industry. It has even earned the nickname “Start-Up Nation” because of the abundance of technology start-ups that exist in the small country. One area where Israel has excelled is their space and aerospace industry. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is Israel’s major aerospace and aviation manufacturer which produces military systems, space-based systems, and civil aircrafts. Israel also develops and manufacturers various aerospace products for export around the world.
While Israel’s industries have shown great growth and expansion over the years, I think there are some incredible projects and deals that highlight the importance of its space industry in particular. These projects, such as international space missions, experiments, and new conversion facilities for airplanes, demonstrate a really promising future for Israel in this field.
The Ramon Foundation and the Ministry of Science and Technology announced 44 experiments that will potentially be conducted onboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom Space’s Ax-1 mission starting next year. Over the past few months, experiments were submitted by Israeli start-ups, scientists, and researchers and then calibrated to fit the conditions of space. The 44 experiments were selected based on their potential for medical, scientific, and technological breakthroughs and their economic impact; those that meet the funding requirements and are approved by NASA will actually go ahead. This is an incredible opportunity for Israeli technological advances and helps Israel further establish its place on the global scene. However these experiments are not just good for Israelis, they’re also really important for international researchers and cover a variety of topics. One of the other goals of this project is to introduce science to younger generations in an exciting and engaging way. The Ramon foundation’s vision is to livestream the experiments being conducted to Israeli students in their classrooms to create an inspiring new education opportunity.
The experiments aren’t the only exciting thing for Israel in the upcoming mission to the ISS though, Israel will also be sending its second astronaut to space in this mission. Eytan Stibbe, along with 2 other astronauts from the USA and Spain, will spend 200 hours on the ISS. And during this time he will be completing the Israeli experiments. This mission is certainly something for Israelis and Jewish people around the world to be proud of. Representation is exceptionally important and Stibble’s role in this project does just that: young people can see themselves in him and feel represented as Israelis on a global stage. Finally, a key element of this mission’s significance is the international collaborations that are created because of it.
Israel’s global presence doesn’t stop there. The IAI recently reached a deal with Incheon International Airport and Sharp Technics to establish a cargo conversion site in South Korea. While this deal may seem unimportant it actually highlights the close cooperation of IAI and the South Korean aviation industry. Israel is a leader in aircraft conversions (this is when one type of plane is transformed into a different type to fit different needs) and this deal helps establish trust between the companies and meet the expected rise in demand for wide-body freighter aircraft.
The various projects Israel is working on are valuable for numerous reasons. As said earlier, much about the tech industry and earth and space science can be confusing to those who are not well versed, but Israel is working to bridge this gap by leading these experiments with kids in classrooms from the ISS. On top of that, these experiments can lead to great discoveries and innovations for Israel and the world. Collaborations of all kind between Israel and other countries are crucial for maintaining and improving Israel’s international relations. Because these projects set a great example of Israel’s innovative abilities they can surely lead to increased interest in peaceful partnership with Israel in aerospace and in other fields.
