Israel applauds Isro after PSLV-C48 launches its student satellite

NEW DELHI: Israel has applauded the successful launch of Isro’s PSLV-C48 rocket that put an experimental satellite built by students of its country into the polar orbit on Wednesday afternoon.
‘Duchifat-3’ Israeli satellite was among nine foreign customer satellites piggybacking on India’s primary payload Risat-2BR1, a radar-based imaging satellite with military applications, that was launched by PSLV-C48 from Sriharikota at 3.25pm.
In a tweet, Israel said, “What a proud moment! India’s @ISRO successfully launches #PSLVC48, also carrying an educational satellite #Duchifat3 jointly built by 3 Israeli School students, to help young Israelis & agriculturists observe the Earth from space. Even the “Sky is not the limit” for India and Israel.”


Alon Abramovich, Meitav Assulin and Shmuel Aviv Levi, all 17-18-year-olds, from Sha’ar HaNegev High school on Wednesday came to Sriharikota to witness the PSLV’s 50th launch that put their satellite in space within 21 minutes after the liftoff. At the launch centre, Isro chairman K Sivan shook hands with the three students and wished them.
The education satellite, with 10x10x30 cm size and 2.3 kg weight, was jointly developed by 60 students of Herzliya Science Center and Sha’ar Hanegev High School, which is just a kilometre from the Gaza border. Through ‘Duchifat-3’, the third in the satellite series, will help students from schools across Israel observe the Earth from space and carry out ecological studies like air pollution, water source pollution and forest monitoring.
This is not the first time Isro has launched an Israeli satellite. In 2008, PSLV had launched Israel’s reconnaissance satellite TechSAR and a research satellite BGUSat in 2017. In fact, the first of the series of India’s Risat series satellites, Risat-2, was built in cooperation with Israel as the latter provided the X-band synthetic aperture radar for it. Risats have boosted India’s space surveillance capability and helped keep an eye on infiltrators and terror activities along the borders, especially after the Kargil war.