ראיון עם תא"ל (מיל.) פרופסור חיים אשד, ראש מינהלת החלל במשהב"ט

Interview
CHAIM ESHED
Director for Space Programs, Israeli MoD

Twenty years ago this month, Israel’s Ministry of Defense and state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) confounded skeptics at home and abroad by launching its first satellite, the Ofeq-1, westward against the Earth’s rotation.
Since then, Israel has continued to buck global trends with small, nimble, self-defending satellites that even the U.S. Pentagon is con*sidering to augment tactical intelligence needs.
As MoD’s longtime director of space research and development and co-founder of the Israel Space Agency, Chaim Eshed has had singular influence on Israel’s space program. For 30 years, first as head of research and development (R&D) for Israeli intelligence and then as MoD’s space administrator, the professor of aeronautics and astronautics, also a retired brigadier general, has battled back from launch failures and bankruptcy-threatening budget cuts, each time managing to nurture the program to its next milestone.
Before retiring next year, Eshed aims to accelerate Israel’s vector toward a networked, 3-D constellation of multimission satellites instantly accessible to multiple users anywhere in the world.
Q. How can the MoD fund this con*stellation with a budget that barely exceeds $100 million a year?
A. Since the very beginning 30 years ago this year, our space program has suffered from chronic underfunding, yet MAFAT [the MoD’s Defense Research and Development Directorate] — working with industry and academia — have managed to curtail costs and work around problems.
Back then, there was controversy and skepticism about our need for satellites, but the intel*ligence community believed it was the best way to monitor de*militarization of Sinai without violating our treaty with Egypt.
Now, at least, there is no disagreement. Everyone agrees we must expand our defensive capabilities from space.
Q. Will this constellation and future MoD initiatives depend on outside investment?
A. Keep in mind, Ofeq-5 and Ofeq-7 already work wonderful*ly in constellation. But for future clusters, we’ll need outside funding, and we’re looking for it in two separate directions.
First, the government needs to step in and leverage MAFAT’s decades of investment and myriad achievements to further na*tional scientific, cultural, social and economic goals. We’re saying loud and clear that Israel has benefited from space, and it’s time for a national program to capitalize on the dual-use essence of our program.
Q. How much extra national funding do you hope to secure, and will it add to MoD’s space budget?
A. I expect MoD’s budget to remain more or less constant, and then, on top of that, the national program should fill in the gaps. The chairman of the Israel Space Agency has said we need something like $150 million annually to advance ourselves in critical sectors.
Q. For the other source of outside funding, are you eyeing the stock market, equity funds?
A. I’m ready for a serious government, corporate or private investor or investors ready to put $500 million or $1 billion toward production and launch of this niche class of mini-satellites [up to 400 kilograms]. Provided they meet the MoD’s internal security requirements, we can prove there will be return on investment, craft an agreement, offer government assurances on their money, and allow them to create a constellation of satellites based on our already considerable infrastruc*ture and leading technology in this field.

Q. It sounds like the MoD is risking dangerous, direct involvement in the commercial arena at a time when its interests are being challenged in litigation against ImageSat Interna*tional and other key suppliers.
A. ImageSat is a venture created from some American investors, IAI and Elbit, and we procure services from their Eros satel*lites. We’ve learned from the ImageSat case and will take better care through the contractual process to avoid potential problems. Our plan requires a private company; it could be ImageSat or possibly a new entity. But MoD should not be involved directly in the business.
Right now, we have investors in sight, and we’re waiting for things to clear up. Once it does, I don’t see problems with moving ahead.
Q. How does the MoD aim to guard critical technologies — the so called family jewels — while working so aggressively to commercialize strategic assets?
A. Space assets, by their nature, are becoming increasingly dual use. Their military utility and strategic value is really deter*mined by the systems on the ground and the unique ways in which we can control the satellite and extract its data. ImageSat’s second-generation Eros satellite, for example, claims a resolution of 0.7 meters, and we’ll continue to limit them to what we think is reasonable.
Obviously, our systems are better, but it’s much more than the sensor in the satellite that dictates the performance delta.
Q. Can you elaborate? A. We’re improving mission planning by prioritizing, optimizing and controlling existing assets.
We want to make ground terminals smart enough to get more information from the given data. That means processing, archiving, random access, dissemination. At the end of the line, you need to fuse it all and get it to the single soldier. That’s the force-multiplying effect we aim to achieve.
Q. Did the decision to deploy the new TecSAR radar satellite from an Indi*an launcher indicate a loss of confidence in the Shavit program?
A. We’ve made a strategic decision to preserve and continuously improve upon our indigenous launch capability.
Q. Does that mean Israel’s next satellite — Ofeq-8, or what you call Ofeq-B4 — will be launched from Israel?
A. Our strategic plan calls for launches of this series to be from Israel. But for the next generation, if I’m working with a strategic investor on the constellation we discussed, I may want to work with an alternative foreign vehicle capable of launching more than one at the same time.

Q. Where does the MoD stand in its plans for responsive space? Do you plan to deploy on demand an air launched cluster of smaller so-called micro-satellites in the 100-kilogram class?
A. Right now, our priority is the minisatellites. But if we need to increase revisit time and fill critical gaps, we’re going to have to go into launch on demand. Our Shavit can take three of these micro-satellites in the 100 kilogram to 130-kilogram class, or alternatively, we can launch from F-15s. Rafael has already performed several tests, and we have ample simulation data to move quickly into this capability. Again, it’s all a matter of funding and our ability to secure outside investment.
Q. Is it true the MoD has given up on plans to launch a dedicated military communication satellite?
A. We don’t need a dedicated satellite, as long as we get the bandwidth and flexibility from commercial providers. It doesn’t matter if we use Amos-3, Amos 4 or any other commercial platform. All we need to do is contract for the needed transponders.
We’ll put our encryption and defense systems on them, and we’ll have our smart ground terminals, and that’s how I advocate providing for the needs of our war fighters. ■
By Barbara Opall-Rome in Tel Aviv.

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