If the experiments are successful, dozens of entities and companies will be able to market their products to the global space industry and launch the Israeli space industry. In addition, the researchers believe that the success of the experiments could lead to the development of drugs and technologies that will improve the lives of humans on Earth.
In order to give more Israeli researchers the opportunity to participate in the ‘Sky’ mission, the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, together with the Ministry of Health, published a call for experiments in gravity totaling one million shekels. The grant provided helped lower the budgetary barrier of groundbreaking experiments on their way to the International Space Station.
As part of the ‘Sky’ mission, the scientific experiments will take on an additional dimension – educational. In recent months, the Davidson Institute, in collaboration with the Ramon Foundation and the Israel Space Agency in the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, has been developing educational content that will deal with the scientific activities of the Sky Mission. Scientists at the Davidson Institute for Science Education have been involved in making complex scientific experiments available to students, and building educational content based on them, which will focus on scientific principles, explanations of phenomena, enable experience in critical thinking, planning, execution and research evaluation. The content was developed on the basis of insights gained at a unique conference where the best educators in the country and the scientists in charge of the experiments to be performed by Eitan Stiva at the International Space Station met. From January onwards, the content will be distributed and distributed to about one million students of all ages from all over the country.
Eitan Steve said: “The scientific part of the ‘Sky’ mission is of great significance to me. The experiments I will conduct will help dozens of Israeli researchers advance their important work, engage in sustainability for the benefit of life on Earth, help the Israeli space industry integrate into international, public and commercial industry.” “Along with supporting the research and development of the industry, I hope to influence the sons and daughters of the younger generation – the scientists of the future.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Orit Farkash HaCohen, said that “the field of global space is undergoing a real revolution. The market has doubled in size over the past decade and is expected to grow to a trillion dollar value in the coming years. It is a joy and a blessing that in the ‘Sky’ mission, important experiments will be carried out that will advance the Israeli space industry and Israeli and world science. The Israeli space agency in my office took part in the selection of experiments and funded important experiments that could not have taken part in the mission without its support. We must also educate and promote the civilian field of space and connect it to the Israeli high-tech industry. The field of space is in full swing and touches all areas of our lives – and the ‘Sky’ mission is part of an important process of empowering this industry. “
Brigadier General (Res.) Uri Oron, Director General of the Israel Space Agency in the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology: Research and academia with governments and state bodies Eitan Steve, the second Israeli in space, will perform an impressive and important series of experiments on the space station, both in quantity, variety and quality. I am very happy that the cooperation between the Israel Space Agency and the various bodies in Israel and abroad has matured into such a large fabric of activities and experiments. “