Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli Astronaut was the payload specialist of the fatal mission of the Columbia Space-Shuttle. On 1, February 2003, he and six other American crew members were killed in an accident that occurred as the shuttle was making its way back into the earth's atmosphere.

In his preflight interview Ramon captured the essence of our discussions here today. He said:

"We have such a variety of science disciplines... from whichever discipline we choose, we get additional insights that come-up. But, in all, everything we do is directed toward the creation of a better world on ground. Not in space; here on ground."

The significant developments in Space research and exploration in the past decades provide opportunities for global cooperation from which every nation can benefit.

The past two decades have witnessed a dramatic intensification of space-related activities. Eleven countries, including Israel, have space-launch capability and over sixty countries own and operate approximately 1,200 active satellites.

Space based assets offer a wide spectrum of civilian, commercial, and humanitarian related services, many of them essential.

The Israeli Space Agency pursues a mission of peaceful outer space cooperation by promoting innovative scientific projects based on international collaboration.

To this end, the Israeli Space Agency has signed cooperation agreements with sister agencies from various countries, continues to expand links with international partners and has sought to advance a number of projects that would benefit the international community at large.

Mr. Chairman,

Allow me to mention just a few of Israel’s significant space related activities:

In 2012, Jerusalem was selected to host the 2015 International Astronautical Congress. Israel is working tirelessly to ensure the success of this important gathering and we are looking forward to briefing you on its outcomes at next year’s session.

Israel established a governmental committee to cooperate with the European Union in the drafting of the Code-of-Conduct for Outer Space Activities. The document calls on countries to establish policies and procedures to minimize accidents or other acts that could interfere with the international right for peaceful exploration and use of outer space. Israel is an active participant in the Horizon 2020 space initiative, which it joined in 2014.

Israel also donated a model of its OPSAT 2000 series satellite to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space which can be viewed at the United Nations Office in Vienna, Austria.

The OPSAT 2000 is a High Resolution observation Satellite Series made by the Israel Aerospace Industries. Weighing only 300 kilograms, it is capable of identifying small objects from an altitude of several hundred kilometers. The satellite is intended for civilian use in agriculture, infrastructure analysis, transportation and natural disaster management. Israel views such cooperation with COPUOS as an important element of its international space agenda.

Israel continues to demonstrate its commitment to international cooperation. One recent example is our accession to the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response, also known as the UN-SPIDER initiative. This program allows countries to contribute space technologies and expertise for humanitarian and emergency response, as well as disaster-management.

Mr. Chairman,

Israel's public and private sectors are striving for innovation and technological excellence in space research. One of the five main objectives of Israel's National Civil Space Program is to position the State of Israel amongst the five leading space faring nations. Israel's strategic vision is to reach this objective through international cooperation. We invest almost 50% of the program's budget in international partnerships.

Israel is already working closely with its partners in the United States and Europe in the fields of earth monitoring, environmental monitoring and soil mapping. Additionally, we are working in other areas including Supernova Detection and Tracking, Light Weight Satellites, Satellite Formation Flying, Micro Electrical Propulsion Systems, Nano and Micro Satellites. We continue to seek additional partners in our efforts, as we build the platform for future cooperation with space agencies around the world, and reenergize existing connections, in a joint effort "to boldly go where no man has gone before." 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman