Advanced Israeli spy satellite explodes during failed launch attempt

Published September 6th, 2004 - 03:00 GMT

An Israeli attempt to launch the Ofek 6 spy satellite failed Monday, after a malfunction in the third phase of the Shavit satellite launcher.

According to Haaretz daily, as a result of the malfunction, the satellite crashed into the sea and was completely destroyed.

Israeli sources said the failure was seen as a serious setback for Israel, which had hoped that the Ofek 6 would help Israel to get warnings in case of a missile attack. The satellite was also meant to provide real-time information on Iran's missile program.

The satellite exploded soon after launch, but no injuries were reported on the ground, military officials said. (albawaba.com)