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Israel, NASA Reach Agreement to Send First Israeli Female Astronaut to Space
Axiom’s four-man team lifts off, riding atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US, April 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Steve Nesius
Israel has reached an agreement with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to send the first Israeli woman astronaut to space, Israel’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology Gila Gamliel announced on Monday at the Israel Space Agency’s 20th Ilan Ramon International Space Conference.
“We received approval from NASA to send the first Israeli female astronaut into space,” Gamliel said at the conference in Tel Aviv. “We in Israel have now begun the process of searching for our candidate among our brave women.”
Gamliel, who visited NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in September, did not elaborate on when or in what capacity the Israeli female astronaut will join NASA as part of a mission into space.
“This milestone will serve as an inspiration for future generations and emphasize the importance of gender equality in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” she added.
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, who is in New York to speak at the United Nations as part of an event honoring the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, sent a pre-recorded message that was played at the Ramon Conference.
“We are living in an incredibly exciting times for space exploration,” Herzog said. “Humanity is discovering new ways to use space technologies not only to explore the stars, but to advance global health, stability, and prosperity on our own planet. Space exploration is the next frontier for humanity, and I am convinced that it will play an increasingly bigger role in science and that humanity will ultimately settle in space as well.”
“Israel, despite its small size, is a global trailblazer in the field of space,” he added. “Already now, we partner with the leading space programs in the world, including with some of our Abraham Accords partners. I am hopeful that we will see many exciting new collaborations ahead. This leadership at the forefront of new space is absolutely critical for Israel’s future security, prosperity, and scientific leadership in the world, and we must make it a top priority.”
The Ilan Ramon International Space Conference is named after the first Israeli astronaut, who was killed along with his six crewmates in February 2003 when NASA’s space shuttle Columbia broke apart as it returned to Earth’s atmosphere. Ramon was 48 years old.
“NASA and Israel have a long-standing relationship, and this is an exciting time in space for both of our nations,” said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free in a recorded message shared at the conference on Monday. He noted Ramon’s legacy as the first Israeli astronaut and also mentioned Israeli citizen Eitan Stiva and his historic first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. He additionally mentioned that NASA and Israel have extended their partnership regarding moon exploration.
The Israeli company Stream Red developed a radiation belt that was sent to the space station and on the Artemis 1 experimental mission, and has helped improve the understanding of radiation exposure on Earth. In 2022, Israel signed the Artemis Accords to show its commitment to scientific cooperation and space exploration.
The post Israel, NASA Reach Agreement to Send First Israeli Female Astronaut to Space first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Report: IDF Probes Whether Houthis Used Iranian Cluster Bomb-Bearing Missile
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi addresses followers via a video link at the al-Shaab Mosque, formerly al-Saleh Mosque, in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
i24 News – The Israeli military said Saturday it launched a probe into the failure of its defenses to fully intercept a missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi jihadists, parts of which struck not far from the Ben Gurion airport on Friday night.
According to the Ynet website, one of the hypotheses being examined is that the projectile contained cluster munitions, similar to those used by Iran to fire at Israeli cities during the 12-day war in June. Cluster munitions pose a challenge to interceptors as they disperse smaller explosives over a wide area.
In June, Iran fired several missiles carrying scattered small bombs with the aim of increasing civilian casualties.
The IDF said on Saturday that its initial review suggests the ballistic missile from Yemen likely fragmented in mid-air. Five interceptors from various systems engaged with the missile, including THAAD, Arrow, David Sling & Iron Dome.
Authorities said that shrapnel impacted a house in the central Israeli moshav of Ginaton, yet no one was hurt, with the fragment landing in the house’s backyard.
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Iran Forces Kill Six Militants, IRNA Reports, Israel Link Seen
The Iranian flag is seen flying over a street in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 3, 2023. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Iranian security forces shot dead six militants in a clash in southeastern Iran on Saturday, a day after armed rebels killed five police officers in the restive region, the official news agency IRNA reported.
IRNA said evidence showed the group was linked to Israel and may have been trained by Israel‘s Mossad spy agency. There was no immediate Israeli reaction to the allegation.
Another two members of the militant group were arrested, the report said. All but one of the militants were foreign, it added, without giving their nationality.
Iranian police said this month they had arrested as many as 21,000 suspects during the 12-day war with Israel in June.
Iran’s southeast has been the scene of sporadic clashes between security forces and armed groups, including Sunni militants and separatists who say they are fighting for greater rights and autonomy.
Tehran says some of them have ties to foreign powers and are involved in cross-border smuggling and insurgency.
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Benny Gantz Urges Time-Limited National Unity Government to Further Chances of Hostage Deal
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz attends his party’s meeting at the Knesset, Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, June 27, 2022. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz on Saturday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition politicians to form a temporary national unity government to further the chances of bringing home the hostages held in Gaza.
Addressing Netanyahu, Yair Lapid and Avigdor Liberman, Gantz said that the proposed government’s two supreme priorities would be the release of Israeli hostages held by the jihadists of Hamas and instituting universal conscription in Israel by ending the exemption from military service enjoyed by the ultra-Orthodox.
Upon attainment of the goals, the government would dissolve and call an election.
“The government’s term will begin with a hostage deal that brings everyone home,” Gantz said in a video address. “Within weeks, we will formulate an enlistment outline that would see our ultra-Orthodox brethren drafted to the military and ease the burden on those already serving. Finally, we will announce an agreed-upon election date in the spring of 2026 and pass a law to dissolve the Knesset [Israeli parliament] accordingly. This is what’s right for Israel.”