India Launches Israeli Spy Satellite

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) made its second commercial launch on January 21st by placing an Israeli spy sattelite into orbit. The launch vehicle was the four stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The ISRO's first commercial launch was to place an Italian Space Agency satellite into orbit in April 2007.

The Israeli TecSAR is a synthetic aperture radar spy satellite, with a maximum optical resolution of 1 meter. It is the first Israeli satellite to feature this technology.

The fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of Islamic terrorism in India have paved the way for closer relations between India and Israel. They recently agreed upon a $2.5 billion deal for Israel to develop a derivative of the Barak-8 anti-aircraft missile system for India, in the single largest arms contract in Israeli history.

In a corresponding move, Israel is sending most, if not all, of its satellites to be launched in India. Cost plays a role: the Indian PSLV costs approximately $15 million per launch, against the Israeli Shavit's $20 million. However, Israel is clearly moving to closer cooperation with India across a range of areas, including space. The have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on space cooperation, and Israel has expressed interest in participating in India's Chandrayaan unmanned space probe to the moon.

Sources: ISRO, Wikipedia