Israel Active

Israel completed a successful test of the David's Sling missile defense system (also known as Magic Wand) by intercepting a medium-range missile. The system is estimated to be operational in 2014 and will provide Israel with additional layer of protection against ballistic missiles.

BBC’s David Shukman reports on the SESAME synchrotron facility, as reported by Israel21c (and me) back in Feb 2011. Shukman doesn’t mention Israel on the video – only briefly on the BBC website. Still, it’s better than nothing and also better late than never.

Technically, it can – especially when designed by scientists at Israel’s Technion.

How do you convert solar energy into a fuel that you can use when there is no sun? A project team at Israel’s Technion is developing a solution that traps the energy as light in solar cells and then uses it to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University in the Negev (BGU) have developed a radically new design for a concentrator solar cell that, when irradiated from the side, generates solar conversion efficiencies that rival, and may eventually surpass, the most ultra-efficient photovoltaics.

Israel Corporation is to build a 60MW solar power station at Kibbutz Mashabei Sadeh in the Negev. It comes hot on the heels of announcements of a 120MW thermo-solar energy project at Kibbutz Zeelim nearby and agreement on a 121MW facility at Ashelim.

U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) has just launched its Robotics Challenge with the participation of researchers from Israeli universities and leaders from the Israeli robotics industry. Israel was the only foreign team accepted to develop control software for the robot.

Israel leads the world in research satellites. Science and Technology Minister Daniel Hershkowitz reported that Israel has launched 13 satellites that have collectively accumulated 66 orbiting years and achieved 100 percent orbit mission successes.

The Bruno H. Schubert Foundation of Frankfurt awarded its annual prize for excellence in natural sciences to Israeli ornithologist Dr. Yossi Leshem for his contributions to the research and preservation of birds in Israel. Dr Leshem works in Tel Aviv University’s zoology department.

(Thanks to Israel21c) Israel’s Advanced Mem-Tech has a solution to the shortfall in global water supplies. Using technology from Israel’s Technion, it has developed a “high permeability” polymer membrane filter that requires far less energy than existing membranes.