Venus Satellite

Israel has launched its first environmental research satellite named as Venus (Vegetation and Environment Monitoring New Micro-Satellite).

It is a joint venture between the Israel Space Agency (ISA) and its French counterpart CNES. The Venus satellite is an earth-observation micro-satellite. It is considered the smallest satellite of its kind in the world. It weighs only 265 kilogram. It will be placed in sun-synchronized orbit at an altitude of 720 kilometers.

It will circle the earth 29 times in each 48-hour period and will stay in commission for 4.5 years. The mini-satellite is equipped with a special camera that can visualize details on Earth that are not visible to the naked eye.