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Over 70 licensed launch facilities now operate globally — 20 commissioned since 2020.
| Attribute | Palmachim Airbase 🇮🇱 Israel Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Trust: Operator-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | Israel Defense Forces / Israel Aerospace Industries | Southern Launch / Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation |
| Ownership | Military | Public-Private |
| Region | 🇮🇱 Israel | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| Launch pads | 1 active (classified IAF facility)as of [1] ↑ Most pads | — |
| Annual launches | 1–2as of [1] | 2-5 ↑ Most active |
| Max payload (LEO) | ~350 kg to retrograde LEO (Shavit-2)as of [1]Launches westward over Mediterranean due to geopolitical overflight constraints; unusual retrograde orbit ↑ Highest capacity | — |
| First operational launch | 1988-09-19as of [2]Ofeq-1 — Israel's first satellite; first nation ever to launch into retrograde orbit from a dedicated national site | 2020 |
| Regulatory regime | Israel Space Agency (ISA) civil oversight; Ministry of Defense controls dual-use launches and Ofeq reconnaissance program | Australian Space Agency under Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018 |
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