Successful launch of Israeli telecommunications satellite from Florida

The Israeli telecommunications satellite Dror 1 was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced Sunday in a statement.

"Israel Aerospace Industries [IAI] has successfully launched the Israeli national communications satellite 'Dror 1' into space," said the state-owned aerospace company, which described it as the most advanced satellite ever built in Israel.

The Dror-1 communications satellite, with an estimated cost of about $200 million (171 million euros), is expected to meet Israel's communications needs for at least the next 15 years and help "preserve the country's national strategic capabilities," said Boaz Levy, CEO and president of IAI.

In September 2016, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher, owned by American billionaire Elon Musk, exploded during a ground test at a Cape Canaveral launch pad, destroying the Israeli communications satellite Amos-6.

Amos-6 was described by its manufacturer, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), as the "largest and most sophisticated satellite ever built in Israel," with an estimated cost between $200 million and $300 million (171 million to 256 million euros).