Tel Aviv University (TAU), Israel’s Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, and nine municipalities across Israel have launched into space Tevel 2, a constellation of nine research nanosatellites — the largest Israeli satellite constellation ever — from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The nanosatellites, each measuring 4x4x4.5 inches (10×10×11.3 centimeters), were designed and built by high school students from Israel and were launched into low Earth orbit at an altitude of 310 miles (500 kilometers) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The satellites were built under the guidance of TAU’s Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering in research and development (R&D) centers established in nine municipalities throughout the country, uniquely incorporating diverse populations: five Jewish municipalities (Yeruham, Sha’ar HaNegev, Ma’ale Adumim, Givat Shmuel, and Herzliya), three Arab municipalities (Ein Mahil, Tayibe, and Kafr Qara), and one Druze municipality (Yarka).

“The satellite constellation is designed to measure cosmic radiation in orbit,” explains Professor Meir Ariel, Head of the Faculty of Engineering’s Space Engineering Center. “Cosmic radiation consists of high-energy particles (mainly protons) originating from the sun, and events in the deep universe, such as supernova explosions. While life on Earth is relatively protected from this radiation by the planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere, astronauts in space and electronic systems on satellites are exposed to this potentially harmful radiation.”

The nanosatellites, launched as a clustered swarm from the Space Force base in California, are expected to disperse randomly in their orbit over time, ultimately creating an accurate high-resolution map of cosmic radiation at every point above Earth’s surface. Another experiment will examine the radiation’s effects on the satellites’ electronic components. The data will be analyzed by the students under the guidance of researchers from TAU and the Soreq Nuclear Research Center, where the space radiation sensors were developed.

The satellites were built by outstanding high school students who joined the program in the tenth grade and are now completing the twelfth grade. The students worked in R&D centers, complete with clean rooms, established by TAU in the nine participating municipalities specified above. Satellite communication stations connected to the main station at TAU were set up in Herzliya, Yeruham, Givat Shmuel, and Sha’ar HaNegev, enabling students to control and receive data from the satellites.

One of the program’s main goals is to promote scientific education in Israel’s periphery and provide students from remote regions with an equal opportunity to participate and excel in a national project. Israel’s Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, the Israel Space Agency, and TAU are all deeply committed to Israeli society and working to reduce social inequality and provide equal opportunities through a variety of affirmative action programs and extensive community initiatives.

In addition to its scientific tasks, the project also includes a unique memorial mission: Sha’ar HaNegev’s satellite will telemetrically transmit the names of all Israeli civilians and soldiers killed from October 7, 2023, through December 2024, with the signal displayed continuously, throughout the satellite’s lifespan, on the website of the Israel Space Agency. This unique commemoration holds special significance, since the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council suffered great losses in the October 7 attack. Moreover, the Sha’ar HaNegev students who participated in the project itself had been evacuated from their homes for many months.

The satellites will remain in orbit for approximately three years, during which they will provide essential scientific data and serve as an inspiration for the next generation of Israeli space scientists and engineers.