Israel launched an advanced spy satellite on January 21, 2008 that will be able to track events in Iran, the country it considers its top foe, even at night and in cloudy weather.
The TechSAR satellite is of particular importance for Israel because it can be used to keep tabs on Iran´s nuclear programme, which the US and Israel fear is a cover for pursuing nuclear weapons.
The satellite, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, operates with a special radar system, allowing it to view much more than existing Ofek satellites that use cameras.
The satellite was launched from the Sriharikota space station in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.