* Astronomy

Israel upgrades missile range as space centre

The Israeli air force is upgrading its missile test range to turn it into the country's primary space centre, with launch facilities for different types of missiles and rockets.
The missile test range is part of the service's Palmachim base in central Israel. The Offeq-9, Israel's new spy satellite, was launched from there on 22 June with a Shavit launcher.
In a visit to the base a few days before the launch, the air force outlined plans aimed at enabling more launches there despite of the physical limitations of the base.
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