Brian Hughes, NASA Chief of Staff, left, Meredith McKay, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Office of International and Interagency Relations, second from left, Israel’s Minister for Innovation, Science, and Technology Gila Gamliel, and Shani Edri, director of International Relations in Israel’s Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology pose for a picture after the signing the US-Israel Space Cooperation Framework Agreement Extension, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Meredith McKay, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Office of International and Interagency Relations, left, and Israel’s Minister for Innovation, Science, and Technology Gila Gamliel sign the US-Israel Space Cooperation Framework Agreement Extension, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Meredith McKay, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Office of International and Interagency Relations, left, and Israel’s Minister for Innovation, Science, and Technology Gila Gamliel sign the US-Israel Space Cooperation Framework Agreement Extension, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Meredith McKay, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Office of International and Interagency Relations, left, and Israel’s Minister for Innovation, Science, and Technology Gila Gamliel shake hands after signing the US-Israel Space Cooperation Framework Agreement Extension, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, right, and Associate Administrator Bob Cabana, second from right, meet with, from left to right, Israel’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Ofir Akunis, Israel’s Deputy Director General, Omer Shechter, Israel’s Chief of Staff, Asaf Magen, Chief of Staff, Ambassador of Israel to the United States, Evan Charney, NASA Office of International and Interagency Relations, Rebecca Levy, NASA Office of International and Interagency Relations, Amber McIntyre, and NASA Associate Administrator, Office of International and Interagency Relations, Karen Feldstein, Monday, March 27, 2023 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington DC. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, right, and Associate Administrator Bob Cabana, second from right, meet with, from left to right, Israel’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Ofir Akunis, Israel’s Deputy Director General, Omer Shechter, Israel’s Chief of Staff, Asaf Magen, Chief of Staff, Ambassador of Israel to the United States, Evan Charney, NASA Office of International and Interagency Relations, Rebecca Levy, NASA Office of International and Interagency Relations, Amber McIntyre, and NASA Associate Administrator, Office of International and Interagency Relations, Karen Feldstein, Monday, March 27, 2023 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington DC. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson poses for a photo with Israel’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Ofir Akunis, Monday, March 27, 2023 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington DC. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson meets with Israel’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Ofir Akunis, Monday, March 27, 2023 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington DC. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Chief of Staff Brian Hughes is seen during a meeting with Israel’s Minister for Innovation, Science, and Technology Gila Gamliel, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Chief of Staff Brian Hughes, left, and Israel’s Minister for Innovation, Science, and Technology Gila Gamliel shake hands as they pose for a picture, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, during a meeting at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Israel’s Minister for Innovation, Science, and Technology Gila Gamliel, center left, is seen during a meeting with NASA leadership, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana meet with Israel’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Ofir Akunis, Monday, March 27, 2023 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington DC. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson shows Israel’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Ofir Akunis, a model of the Orion capsule, Monday, March 27, 2023 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington DC. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson shows Israel’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Ofir Akunis, a model of the Space Launch System (SLS), Monday, March 27, 2023 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington DC. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

The Sea of Galilee (or Sea of Kinneret) in northern Israel is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth. The lake's main source is the Jordan River, in the Jordan Rift Valley. In antiquity, the Greeks, Hasmoneans, and Romans founded towns on the lake. In the New Testament, much of the ministry of Jesus occured on the shores of the Sea. (Information from Wikipedia.) The image was acquired October 14, 2018, and is located at 32.8 degrees north, 35.6 degrees east. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24130

This image from NASA Terra spacecraft was acquired on Dec. 9, 2010 and shows Israel Carmel region near the city of Haifa where a deadly forest fire raged from Dec.3 to Dec.6, 2010; the burned areas appear in dark gray.

iss073e0343910 (July 19, 2025) --- Israel's Sea of Galilee, the lowest freshwater lake in the world and the second-lowest lake in the world after Israel's Dead Sea, a salt lake, is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 260 miles above the Middle East. Credit: Roscosmos

iss069e009486 (May 8, 2023) --- The city lights of Jerusalem, Israel, were pictured by UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut and Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi from the International Space Station as it orbited 259 miles above.

iss074e0043774 (Jan. 3, 2026) --- Patches of city lights, stretching from Tel Aviv to Netanya, Israel, illuminate the Mediterranean coastline in this photograph taken at approximately 9:10 p.m. local time from the International Space Station as it orbited 261 miles above Earth. The metropolitan population of Tel Aviv, located in Israel's Gush Dan region, exceeds 4 million. Credit: JAXA/Kimiya Yui

A high oblique view of the Middle East centered at approximately 28.0 degrees north and 34.0 degrees east. Portions of the countries of Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are visible. The Dead Sea Rift Valley continuing into the Gulf of Aqaba marks the boundary between Israel and Jordan. The vegetation change in the Sinai Peninsula is the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. In Egypt, the Suez Canal connects the Gulf of Suez with the Mediterranean Sea and forms the western boundary of the Sinai Peninsula. The green ribbon of the Nile River is in marked contrast to this arid region. Even the Jordan River does not support large scale agriculture.

Avi Blasberger, Director of the Israel Space Agency (ISA) meets with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine during the 70th International Astronautical Congress, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

This image from NASA Kidsat electronic still camera was requested by Buist Academy for the purpose of studying the coast of Israel and the Mediterranean Sea.

Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro, left, and Israel Minister for Science, Technology, and Innovation Gila Gamliel, right, pose for a picture before they met to discuss areas of ongoing and potential future U.S.-Israel collaboration in science and exploration, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro, left, and Israel Minister for Science, Technology, and Innovation Gila Gamliel, right, met to discuss areas of ongoing and potential future U.S.-Israel collaboration in science and exploration, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Minister for Public Diplomacy at the Embassy of Israel in Washington Sawsan Hasson, left, and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, right, place a wreath as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

STS106-713-002 (19 September 2000) --- One of the STS-106 crew members on board the Space Shuttle Atlantis, 204 nautical miles above Earth, used a handheld 70mm camera to photograph this image featuring the Sea of Galilee and part of the Mediterranean coast. Also known as Lake Tiberius and other names, the body of water is the only natural fresh-water lake in Israel. It borders on the Golan Heights on its east side. The port of Haifa is visible on the Mediterranean coast. The large agriculture projects on the Israeli side of Galilee are irrigated by the lake and the Jordan River.

Avi Blasberger, Director of the Israel Space Agency (ISA), 2nd from right, meets with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, 2nd from left, during the 70th International Astronautical Congress, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Deputy Administrator Jim orchard, left, and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine meet with Avi Blasberger, Director of the Israel Space Agency (ISA) during the 70th International Astronautical Congress, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, along with representatives from the Embassy of Israel, Minister for Public Diplomacy, Sawsan Hasson, center, and Counselor for Public Diplomacy, Efrat Hochstetler, right, lay a wreath at the Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial during NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, along with representatives from the Embassy of Israel, Minister for Public Diplomacy, Sawsan Hasson, left, and Counselor for Public Diplomacy, Efrat Hochstetler, right, pause for a moment of silence after laying a wreath at the Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial during NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

This space radar image shows the area surrounding the Dead Sea along the West Bank between Israel and Jordan. This region is of major cultural and historical importance to millions of Muslims, Jews and Christians who consider it the Holy Land.

GMT358_21_53_Terry Virts_CEO chad sand dunes israel eastern turkey zoom_129

From left to right, Amy Resnik, Jane Tani, Dan Tani, representatives from the Embassy of Israel, Counselor for Public Diplomacy, Efrat Hochstetler, Minister for Public Diplomacy, Sawsan Hasson, and Director of National Initiatives, Vanina Waingortin, are seen at the Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial after a wreath laying ceremony that was part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

SL3-115-1924 (July-September 1973) --- Skylab 3 Earth view of Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and the Dead Sea. Photo credit: NASA

Earth Observation taken during a day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Folder lists this as: the Middle East, Israel.

Earth Observation taken during a day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Folder lists this as: the Middle East, Israel.

Earth Observation taken during a day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Folder lists this as: the Middle East, Israel.

Earth Observation taken during a night pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Folder lists this as: Cairo and Israel at night.

SL3-122-2621 (July-September 1973) --- Skylab 3 Earth view of the Dead Sea, Israel, Jordan River and Sea of Galilee. Photo credit: NASA

S100-E-5366 (26 April 2001) --- The southern part of the Dead Sea and parts of Israel and Jordan were photographed with a digital still camera by the crew members aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on April 26, 2001.

Earth Observation taken during a night pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Folder lists this as: Middle East night shots. Israel I think and Mecca.

S127-E-008034 (23 July 2009) --- Part of the Dead Sea and parts of Israel and Jordan were photographed with a digital still camera by one of the crew members aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on July 23, 2009.

iss071e113334 (May 26, 2024) --- Cirrus clouds cross the Meditteranean coast from Israel and into Jordan in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 262 miles above.

iss059e099177 (June 10, 2019) --- The Nile River, Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea are contrasted by the desert nations of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Jordan as the International Space Station orbits 254 miles above Africa.

Earth observation taken during a night pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station. Folder lists this as: Night-Egypt & war in Israel - missile impacts.

Earth observation taken by an Expedition 36 crew member on board the International Space Station (ISS). Per Twitter message: Eastern Mediterranean Sea coast, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel.

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS -- (JSC-2001-02920) -- Official portrait of astronaut Ilan Ramon, (Colonel, Israel Air Force), payload specialist representing the Israeli Space Agency (ISA)

iss072e660964 (Feb. 24, 2025) --- The northernmost tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, which Egypt, Israel, and Jordan border along in this photograph, is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 263 miles above the Middle East.

Earth Observation taken during a day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Part of Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) is visible. Folder lists this as: the Middle East, Israel.

Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël, at desk, and NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen, right, both gives a thumbs up after receiving confirmation that the Ariane 5 rocket upper stage shut down as planed a few minutes before separation from the James Webb Space Telescope, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, in the Jupiter Hall of the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

ISS029-E-037471 (3 Nov. 2011) --- Egypt?Israel borderlands, northern Sinai Peninsula and northern Negev Desert are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 29 crew member on the International Space Station. A clearly visible line that marks approximately 50 kilometers of the international border between Egypt and Israel?10-60 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea to the northwest (not shown)?crosses the center of this photograph from left to right. The reason for the color difference is likely the slightly higher level of grazing by the animal herds of Bedouin herdsmen on the Egyptian side of the border. A major highway also follows the border, making the demarcation more prominent in this recent image taken from the space station. A patch of the Gaza Strip appears under scattered cloud at far right. In the arid to semiarid climate of the region illustrated in the image the natural grass vegetation is sparse at best. Irrigated commercial agriculture in Israel nearest the Mediterranean coast appears as a series of large angular patterns and circular center pivot fields, with darker greens indicating growing crops (right). Smaller plot sizes appear on the Egyptian side of the border at upper right. The image shows how the active sand dunes, which dominate most of the landscape in this view, mark the southern limit of the agriculture.

STS073-708-089 (26 October 1995) --- As evidenced by this 70mm photograph from the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia, international borders have become easier to see from space in recent decades. This, according to NASA scientists studying the STS-73 photo collection, is particularly true in arid and semi-arid environments. The scientists go on to cite this example of the razor-sharp vegetation boundary between southern Israel and Gaza and the Sinai. The nomadic grazing practices to the south (the lighter areas of the Sinai and Gaza, top left) have removed most of the vegetation from the desert surface. On the north side of the border, Israel uses advanced irrigation techniques in Israel, mainly "trickle irrigation" by which small amounts of water are delivered directly to plant roots. These water-saving techniques have allowed precious supplies from the Jordan River to be used on farms throughout the country. Numerous fields of dark green can be seen in this detailed view. Scientists say this redistribution of the Jordan River waters has increased the Israeli vegetation cover to densities that approach those that may have been common throughout the Mid-East in wetter early Biblical times. A small portion of the Mediterranean Sea appears top right.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Members of the STS-107 crew check out equipment at SPACEHAB. Beginning in the center are Mission Specialists Michael Anderson and Laurel Clark; at far right are Ilan Ramon, from Israel, and Kalpana Chawla. Identified as a research mission, STS-107 is scheduled for launch July 19, 2001

iss069e000843 (April 4, 2023) --- The Dead Sea (at left), on the border between the Middle Eastern nations of Israel and Jordan, and Amman (center), the capital of Jordan, were pictured by UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut and Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi from the International Space Station as it orbited 262 miles above.

iss072e404443 (Dec. 26, 2024) --- The northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba is surrounded by the borders of four Middle East nations, including Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 261 miles above.

iss067e090312 (May 29, 2022) --- The Nile Delta is pictured from the International Space Station at an altitude of 262 miles above the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel. The sun's glint beams off the Rosetta and the Damietta branches of the Nile River at the base of the Nile Delta.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Members of the STS-107 crew check out equipment at SPACEHAB. Beginning in the center are Mission Specialists Michael Anderson and Laurel Clark; at far right are Ilan Ramon, from Israel, and Kalpana Chawla. Identified as a research mission, STS-107 is scheduled for launch July 19, 2001

iss073e0425936 (Aug. 7, 2025) --- From left to right, the Sea of Galilee—the world’s lowest freshwater lake—and the Dead Sea—the lowest saltwater lake—are connected by the Jordan River in Israel. At the bottom of the image, the Mediterranean coastline is visible from the International Space Station as it orbited 260 miles above Earth. Credit: Roscosmos

SL3-114-1634 (July-September 1973) --- Skylab 3, Saturn S-4B (S-IVB) stage falls away from the Command Module (CM) after separation. Earth limb in background, pass over Israel, the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Photo credit: NASA

S65-34776 (3-7 June 1965) --- This photograph shows the Nile Delta, Egypt, the Suez Canal, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq as seen from the Gemini-Titan 4 (GT-4) spacecraft during its 12th revolution of Earth.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The VIP stand at KSC is filled with not only friends and families of the astronauts, but also representatives of Israel who came to support the first Israeli to fly on a Shuttle, Ilan Ramon. As a payload specialist, Ramon will take part in some of the research on the mission. He is also a colonel in the Israel Air Force. The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

STS079-824-081 (16-26 Sept. 1996) --- In this 70mm frame from the space shuttle Atlantis, the Jordan River Valley can be traced as it separates Lebanon, Palestine and Israel on the west, from Syria and Jordan on the east. The river flows along the Dead Sea rift; the east side of the fault zone (Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia) has moved north about 100 kilometers relative to the west side (Lebanon, Israel, Egypt) during the past 24 million years. The Dead Sea and Sea of Galilee are in depressions formed where faults of the zone diverge or step over. The Dead Sea once covered the area of salt evaporation pans (the bright blue water). The lagoon, barrier islands and evaporite deposits (bright white) along the Mediterranean coast of the Sinai Peninsula (lower left of frame) are just east of Port Said.

From left to right, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and Deputy Chief of Mission for the Embassy of Israel Eliav Benjamin, place wreaths at the Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial during a ceremony that was part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At SPACEHAB, STS-107 crew members refer to documentation while Mission Specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel points to data on a laptop screen. Gathered around Ramon are (left to right) Mission Specialists Laurel Clark, Michael Anderson, David Brown and Kalpana Chawla (back to camera). Identified as a research mission, STS-107 is scheduled for launch July 19, 2001

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Members of the STS-107 crew take part in In-Flight Maintenance training for their mission. One of the payload elements on the mission is the SPACEHAB Double Module in its first research flight into space. Working with equipment inside the SPACEHAB Double Module are (left to right) SPACEHAB trainer David Butler, Pilot William C. “Willie” McCool, Commander Rick D. Husband, and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, from Israel. Research mission STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 19, 2001

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At SPACEHAB in Cape Canaveral, Fla., STS-107 Mission Specialists Ilan Ramon of Israel and Laurel Clark check out the equipment for the mission. STS-107 is a research mission, and the primary payload is the first flight of the SHI Research Double Module (SHI_RDM). The experiments range from material sciences to life sciences (many rats). Among the experiments is a Hitchhiker carrier system, modular and expandable in accordance with payload requirements. STS-107 is scheduled to launch in June 2002

ISS047e057822 (04/14/2016) --- The Middle East is seen from 250 miles above in this photo from the International Space Station. Countries seen left to right along the Mediterranean coast include Egypt, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey. The major waterways shown from left to right are the Nile River, Gulf of Suez, Gulf of Aqaba, and the Red Sea.

iss071e256968 (June 30, 2024) --- The night lights of civilization highlight the Nile River and dimly outline the shores of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Suez, and the Gulf of Adaba in the Middle East. The nations of Israel, Jordan, and Syria, as well as the Southern European region across the darkness of the Mediterranean Sea also are well lit in this photograph taken from the International Space Station at approximately midnight local time in Cairo, Egypt.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At SPACEHAB, STS-107 crew members check out equipment for their mission. At the far left are Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla and Ilan Ramon, who is from Israel. At center, handling the equipment, are Mission Specialists David Brown and Michael Anderson. Identified as a research mission, STS-107 is scheduled for launch July 19, 2001

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At SPACEHAB, STS-107 crew members check out equipment for their mission. At the far left are Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla and Ilan Ramon, who is from Israel. At center, handling the equipment, are Mission Specialists David Brown and Michael Anderson. Identified as a research mission, STS-107 is scheduled for launch July 19, 2001

Lunar Orbiter was essentially a flying camera. The payload structure was built around a pressurized shell holding Eastman Kodak s dual-imaging photographic system, which used a camera with wide-angle and telephoto lenses that could simultaneously take two kinds of pictures on the same film. Men in in the picture are: Right to left Cliff Nelson, Calvin Broome, Israel Taback and Joe Mooreman. -- Published in James R. Hansen, Spaceflight Revolution: NASA Langley Research Center From Sputnik to Apollo, NASA SP-4308, p. 329.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-107 Mission Specialists David M. Brown (center) and Michael Anderson (right) get information about one of the Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC) experiments that will be on their mission. At left is Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel. The crew has been taking part in In-Flight Maintenance training at SPACEHAB, in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for their mission. STS-107 will carry a broad collection of experiments ranging from material science to life science. It is scheduled to launch July 19, 2001

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At SPACEHAB, STS-107 crew members refer to documentation while Mission Specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel points to data on a laptop screen. Gathered around Ramon are (left to right) Mission Specialists Laurel Clark, Michael Anderson, David Brown and Kalpana Chawla (back to camera). Identified as a research mission, STS-107 is scheduled for launch July 19, 2001

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Members of the STS-107 crew take part in In-Flight Maintenance training for their mission. One of the payload elements on the mission is the SPACEHAB Double Module in its first research flight into space. Working with equipment inside the SPACEHAB Double Module are (left to right) Commander Rick D. Husband, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel and Pilot William C. "Willie" McCool , while SPACEHAB trainer David Butler (standing) looks on. Research mission STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 19, 2001

STS003-17-806 (22-30 March 1982) --- A 70mm out-the-window view showing Israel, the Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee, Jordan River, Sinai, Jordan, the Red Sea and Egypt (in background). Rested Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm and part of the aft section of space shuttle Columbia in foreground. Photo credit: NASA

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Four members of the STS-107 crew look over equipment inside the SPACEHAB Double Module, which will be making its first research flight into space on STS-107. Seen are (left to right) Mission Specialist David M. Brown, Pilot William C. “Willie” McCool, Commander Rick D. Husband and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel. STS-107 will carry a broad collection of experiments ranging from material science to life science. It is scheduled to launch July 19, 2001

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Members of the STS-107 crew are taking part in In-Flight Maintenance training. Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel, project engineer April Boody, Commander Rick D. Husband and Mission Specialist Laurel Clark look over a Biotube experiment. As a research mission, STS-107 will carry the SPACEHAB Double Module in its first research flight into space and a broad collection of experiments ranging from material science to life science. It is scheduled to launch July 19, 2001

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At SPACEHAB, STS-107 crew members become acquainted with equipment that will be on the mission. From left are Mission Specialists David Brown, Ilan Ramon (from Israel), Michael Anderson and Kalpana Chawla; seated in front is Mission Specialist Laurel Clark. Identified as a research mission, STS-107 is scheduled for launch July 19, 2001

STS031-79-015 (24-29 April 1990) --- The 330-plus nautical mile orbital altitude of the Space Shuttle Discovery allowed for this unique high oblique 70mm Hasselblad frame. Egypt is in the foreground, with the Nile River and Lake Nasser readily identifiable. Cairo and Alexandria are visible. The Mediterranean Sea is on the horizon in upper left. The Red Sea is in the center. Other areas seen include Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine and Israel; the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Four members of the STS-107 crew look over equipment inside the SPACEHAB Double Module, which will be making its first research flight into space on STS-107. Seen are (left to right) Mission Specialist David M. Brown, Pilot William C. “Willie” McCool, Commander Rick D. Husband and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel. STS-107 will carry a broad collection of experiments ranging from material science to life science. It is scheduled to launch July 19, 2001

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At SPACEHAB in Cape Canaveral, Fla., STS-107 Mission Specialists Ilan Ramon of Israel and Laurel Clark check out the equipment for the mission. STS-107 is a research mission, and the primary payload is the first flight of the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM). The experiments range from material sciences to life sciences (many rats). Among the experiments is a Hitchhiker carrier system, modular and expandable in accordance with payload requirements. STS-107 is scheduled to launch in June 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- As part of In-Flight Maintenance training at SPACEHAB, in Cape Canaveral, Fla., the STS-107 crew learns about Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC) experiments that will be on their mission. Seen looking over paperwork and one of the BRIC experiments are Commander Rick D. Husband (left) and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel. STS-107 will carry a broad collection of experiments ranging from material science to life science. It is scheduled to launch July 19, 2001

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Members of the STS-107 crew are taking part in In-Flight Maintenance training. Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel, project engineer April Boody, Commander Rick D. Husband and Mission Specialist Laurel Clark look over a Biotube experiment. As a research mission, STS-107 will carry the SPACEHAB Double Module in its first research flight into space and a broad collection of experiments ranging from material science to life science. It is scheduled to launch July 19, 2001

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- As part of In-Flight Maintenance training at SPACEHAB, in Cape Canaveral, Fla., the STS-107 crew learns about Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC) experiments that will be on their mission. Seen looking over paperwork and one of the BRIC experiments are Commander Rick D. Husband (left) and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel. STS-107 will carry a broad collection of experiments ranging from material science to life science. It is scheduled to launch July 19, 2001

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-107 Mission Specialists David M. Brown (center) and Michael Anderson (right) get information about one of the Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC) experiments that will be on their mission. At left is Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel. The crew has been taking part in In-Flight Maintenance training at SPACEHAB, in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for their mission. STS-107 will carry a broad collection of experiments ranging from material science to life science. It is scheduled to launch July 19, 2001

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At SPACEHAB, STS-107 crew members become acquainted with equipment that will be on the mission. From left are Mission Specialists David Brown, Ilan Ramon (from Israel), Michael Anderson and Kalpana Chawla; seated in front is Mission Specialist Laurel Clark. Identified as a research mission, STS-107 is scheduled for launch July 19, 2001

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Members of the STS-107 crew take part in In-Flight Maintenance training for their mission. One of the payload elements on the mission is the SPACEHAB Double Module in its first research flight into space. Working with equipment inside the SPACEHAB Double Module are (left to right) Commander Rick D. Husband, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel and Pilot William C. "Willie" McCool , while SPACEHAB trainer David Butler (standing) looks on. Research mission STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 19, 2001

STS112-702-002 (7-18 October 2002) --- Egypt's triangular Sinai Peninsula lies in the center of this view, photographed from the Space Shuttle Atlantis, with the dark greens of the Nile delta lower right. In this southwesterly view, the Red Sea, with its characteristic parallel coastlines, stretches toward the top. At the bottom of the image, the Suez Canal appears as an irregular line joining the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea (lower left). The Dead Sea in central Israel, with its light blue salt ponds at the south end, appears on the left margin.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Members of the STS-107 crew take part in In-Flight Maintenance training for their mission. One of the payload elements on the mission is the SPACEHAB Double Module in its first research flight into space. Working with equipment inside the SPACEHAB Double Module are (left to right) SPACEHAB trainer David Butler, Pilot William C. “Willie” McCool, Commander Rick D. Husband, and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, from Israel. Research mission STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 19, 2001

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft atop, sits on the pad at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 8, 2022, in preparation for the Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) liftoff. Commander Michael López-Alegría of Spain and the United States, Pilot Larry Connor of the United States, and Mission Specialists Eytan Stibbe of Israel, and Mark Pathy of Canada are aboard the flight to the International Space Station. The Ax-1 mission is the first private astronaut mission to the space station.

41G-120-056 (October 1984) --- Parts of Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Jordan and part of the Mediterranean Sea are seen in this nearly-vertical, large format camera's view from the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Challenger. The Sea of Galilee is at center frame and the Dead Sea at bottom center. The frame's center coordinates are 32.5 degrees north latitude and 35.5 degrees east longitude. A Linhof camera, using 4" x 5" film, was used to expose the frame through one of the windows on Challenger's aft flight deck.

ISS001-E-5981 (28 December 2000) --- A near-vertical digital still image from the International Space Station (ISS) features Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. A small section of the Mediterranean Sea coastline is at bottom left. One of the Expedition One crew members used an extender on a 400mm lens to provide detail in the image. Onboard the outpost for the first habitation tour were astronaut William M. (Bill) Shepherd, commander; along with cosmonauts Yuri P. Gidzenko, Soyuz commander; and Sergei K. Krikalev, flight engineer.

iss073e0312086 (May 22, 2025) --- At top left, the city lights of Benghazi, Libya, arc downward toward the glow of civilization on Egypt's Nile Delta outlining Africa's Mediterranean Sea coast. Israel's metropolitan lights then round north and east into Istanbul, Turkey (far right), and Athens, Greece, and their surrounding suburbs in southern Europe. Resting in the center of the Mediterranean's darkness is the Greek island of Crete.

Chief of staff of the Israeli Defense and Armed Forces Attaché Major Aviram Behar Max, left, salutes the Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial, as Minister for Public Diplomacy, Embassy of Israel in Washington, Sawsan Hasson, right, NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro, back left, and NASA Astronaut Kayla Barron, look on during a wreath laying ceremony that was part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft is launched on Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) to the International Space Station with Commander Michael López-Alegría of Spain and the United States, Pilot Larry Connor of the United States, and Mission Specialists Eytan Stibbe of Israel, and Mark Pathy of Canada aboard, Friday, April 8, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Ax-1 mission is the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. López-Alegría, Connor, Pathy, Stibbe launched at 11:17 a.m. from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center to begin their 10-day mission. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft, soars into the sky from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:17 a.m. EST on April 8, 2022, on Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1). Commander Michael López-Alegría of Spain and the United States, Pilot Larry Connor of the United States, and Mission Specialists Eytan Stibbe of Israel, and Mark Pathy of Canada are aboard the flight to the International Space Station. The Ax-1 mission is the first private astronaut mission to the space station.

STS040-152-180 (5-24 June 1991) --- The Sinai Peninsula dominates this north-looking, oblique view. According to NASA photo experts studying the STS 40 imagery, the Red Sea in the foreground is clear of river sediment because of the prevailing dry climate of the Middle East. The great rift of the Gulf of Aqaba extends northward to Turkey (top right) through the Dead Sea. The international boundary between Israel and Egypt, reflecting different rural landscapes, stands out clearly. The Nile River runs through the frame. NASA photo experts believe the haze over the Mediterranean to be wind-borne dust. The photo was taken with an Aero-Linhof large format camera.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-107 crew members take part in In-Flight Maintenance training for their mission. Under the watchful eyes of SPACEHAB trainer David Butler (left), Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel (center) and Mission Specialist David M. Brown (right) check equipment and paperwork inside the SPACEHAB Double Module. Research mission STS-107, scheduled to launch July 19, 2001, will carry the SPACEHAB Double Module in its first flight into space and a broad collection of experiments ranging from material science to life science

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft is launched on Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) to the International Space Station with Commander Michael López-Alegría of Spain and the United States, Pilot Larry Connor of the United States, and Mission Specialists Eytan Stibbe of Israel, and Mark Pathy of Canada aboard, Friday, April 8, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Ax-1 mission is the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. López-Alegría, Connor, Pathy, Stibbe launched at 11:17 a.m. from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center to begin their 10-day mission. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Members of the STS-107 crew take part in In-Flight Maintenance training for their mission. One of the payload elements on the mission is the SPACEHAB Double Module in its first research flight into space. Working with equipment inside the SPACEHAB Double Module are (front) Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (left), astronaut from Israel, and Commander Rick D. Husband; (back) Mission Specialist David Brown, SPACEHAB trainer David Butler, and Pilot William C. “Willie” McCool. Research mission STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 19, 2001