TEL AVIV, Israel, April 27 (UPI) -- An Israeli EROS satellite launched this week from Russia will reportedly monitor Iran's missile and fledgling nuclear programs.
The EROS B (Earth Remote Observation Satellite) is owned by ImageSat International and designed to provide high-resolution imagery.
"Based on ImageSat International's past experience, we expect to receive first images from the EROS B satellite within few days, and we assume that full services to our customers will commence within few weeks," ImageSat CEO Shimon Eckhaus said Wednesday in a company news release.
ImageSat declined to say exactly what the spacecraft was watching; however a report in WorldTribune.com said its mission was to keep tabs on Iran, where missiles and the growth of a nuclear weapons program has Israel particularly concerned.
The report cited unnamed officials in Israel who said EROS-B would send imagery to Tel Aviv daily from its polar orbit.
EROS B was built by Israel Aircraft Industries/MBT Space Division and is equipped with an Elbit/ElOp very-high resolution camera.
The launch was carried out Wednesday from a Siberian launch site aboard a Start 1 rocket. ImageSat said the EROS B's solar array deployed on schedule and made contact with ground controllers a short time later.
Israel now has three reconnaissance satellites in orbit where they monitor a number of sites in the Middle East, WorldTribune said.
