R & D
Yigal Harel
VP, Head of SpaceIL Spacecraft Program
Mr. Harel has gained over 20 years of professional experience in technology leadership positions in the Israeli defense industry and has spearheaded complex cutting-edge technological programs. Team of one such program, led by Mr. Harel, won Israel’s prestigious Defense Prize for its exclusive contribution to the security of the State of Israel. Mr. Harel has worked with world’s leading corporates (Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, MBDA, SAAB, etc.), thus bringing with him a broad global understanding and multidisciplinary overview of technological systems, processes and lifecycles. With an Aerospace Engineering degree from Israel Institute of Technology, Mr. Harel is also the co-founder of SenStation Technologies Ltd.
Eran Shmidt
Deputy Manager of SpaceIL Program
Head of SpaceIL Ground Segment
Eran is the Deputy Manager of SpaceIL spacecraft Program as well as the Head of the Ground Segment. Eran brings a wealth of experience in leading multi-displinary R&D & Operations units at global hi-tech companies in the Telecom industry. Eran thrives on new challenges and is able to work in multi-cultural environments with various organizations both local and overseas. Eran brings a lot of knowledge and vast experience in project management in different organization structures and process. He graduated from the University of Bridgeport with a B.S.E.E (Dean’s List) and holds an MBA for Business Strategy (cum laude) from the Ono Academic College.
Alexander Friedman
System Engineering Manager
Born 1950 in Russia. Make alia to Israel in1970 .Graduated M. Sc. In Applied Mathematics by Jerusalem Hebrew University. More than 35 years experience in satellites design. Major positions: founder and first Manager of System Engineering Department at MBT Space, System Engineering Manger of AMOS1, AMOS2 and AMOS 3, LEOP Mission Manager of AMOS1 and AMOS 3, Satellites Systems Manager at Spacecom Ltd. Joint SpaceIL at beginning of 2015
Itzik Gazit
Head of Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) Branch
Guidance and Control (G&C) engineer with more than 40 years’ experience in development of flying objects G&C algorithms, development of time and frequency domain simulation tools and performing G&C validations at integration and Hardware in the Loop sites. Experienced in analyzing test results and development of simulation sites and flying tables.
Worked at MLM/IAI as a G&C engineer in the eighties and since then supporting the IMOD and IAI with several projects R&D and Red-Teams. Graduated Tel Aviv University in mechanical engineering/aeronautical branch and studied electrical engineering/control branch in Tel Aviv University.
Asaf Lewin
Head of SW & Simulation
Mr. Lewin has gained over 20 years of extensive multidisciplinary hands-on technological and entrepreneurship experience. Lewin Co-Founded Pickn’Tell, a cloud based retail SAAS platform, worked as CTO of m-wise Ltd [NASDAQ: MWIS.OB] an international leading technology provider of mobile SAAS for mobile operators and large media companies. Division manager at Elron Software [NASDAQ: ELRNF] real-time simulations and military systems, and as a Major in the Israeli air-force where he was responsible for all F16 avionics software. Recipient of the Israeli Chief of Air-Force Award of Excellence. Lewin holds a B.Sc Cum Laude from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology.
Ilan Gadot
Head of EPS & Avionics
Ilan has extensive experience in managing high-tech projects and has conducted a wide range of positions in the development of electronic systems, designed for extreme conditions.
Experienced in working with multinational companies from requirements definition to acceptance and integration testing.
Ilan worked for 15 years at IBM, a member of IBM’s World Technical Council and participated in building IBM’s quality strategy.
Ilan served as a pilot in the Air Force and as a research and development engineer in the Intelligence Force.
Ilan holds an MBA from Middlesex University in London, England and Electronics Engineer, Bsc, from Ben Gurion University, Israel.
Alex Mestezky
Hardware Manager
Mr. Mestezky has 15 years of experience in development of hardware systems. Before joining to SpaceIL, for more than 12 years Mr. Mestezky held positions of hardware design engineer and hardware department manager in Rada Electronic Industries. Mr. Mestezky took a part and led hardware development of inertial navigation systems (INS/IMU), aircraft video recorders, aircraft control modules and phased array radars. Mr. Mestezky holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. in electronics and communication from Holon Institute of Technology (HIT).
Yoav Landsman
Senior Systems Engineer
Yoav is a graduated aerospace engineer and holds a Masters in geophysics and planetary sciences. He gained his experience in engineering when he worked as a satellite chief systems engineer and as a satellite operations engineer for the Israeli Aerospace Industries. Yoav is also a talented lecturer, and talks about space technologies, sciences, history and future. He writes a blog and hosts a live internet show, both about space (in Hebrew).
Tomer Klein
System Engineer
System engineer with experience in the following fields: Design, development and integration of space based platforms and system, both Space and Ground segments (Nano-satellites); Design and development of C4I and Avionics products for Security & Defense and Commercial industries. Tomer is a B.Sc. Aerospace Eng. Graduate, from the Technion.
Ariel Gomez
System Engineer
Ariel owned B.Sc from Jerusalem College of Technology(JCT) in 2003 and MBA from Ben Gurion University (BGU) in 2009. Ariel performed several positions of System Engineering in the R&D unit of Merkava IV tank development unit for the Ministry of Defense. From 2011 Ariel occupied the position of system engineer at Elbit group in the laser division development till 2016 before he joined the SpaceIL team for the Goole Lunar Xprize competition.
Daniela Geron
Ground Segment System Engineer
Daniela holds a B.SC. in Physics and Astronomy from Tel Aviv University. From 2005 to 2016 she worked in the space field at ImageSat and has a vast experience in satellite operation, ground station system integration and space systems engineering. In December 2016 she joined SpaceIL as the Ground Segment System Engineer.
Agnes Levy Segal
Navigation Engineer
Agnes holds a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from University Pierre and Marie Curie Paris, France and a Master degree in Mathematics. For 7 years she has been working at Onera the French aerospace lab on various space missions, as a research engineer in the fields of data analysis, trajectography and performance analysis. In 2013, Agnes moved to Israel and started to work at SpaceIL in the AOCS team as a navigation engineer.
Noam Leiter
Control Engineer in the Attitude and Orbit Control System (AOCS) team
Graduated aerospace engineer, with an M.Sc. in aerospace engineering at the distributed space systems laboratory (DSSL) at the Asher space research institute (ASRI), both at the Technion.
Avihu Segal
Mechanical and Thermal team
Avihu Segal has a B.Sc in aeronautical engineering in the Technion. IAI pensioner. Has an experience of 42 years in aircraft and spacecraft structure design, systems mechanical integration and mechanical integration of spacecrafts. His last position in IAI was a group leader for the mechanical design of LEO satellites and project manager for all the mechanical aspects of those satellites. Responsible for the mechanical and thermal design of the spacecraft.
Tal Ben-Yaacov, M.Sc.
Head of Earth Flight Tests team
Tal holds a B.Sc. and a M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from the Technion- Israel Institute of Technology. His vast experience of almost thirty years in the field of aerospace includes: Flight Sciences engineering, technology infrastructure studies, prototyping, tests and managing various scale R&D technology projects.
Shai Yehezkel
Flight Software
Shai served four years In a technological intelligence unit and holds experience in satellite operations and software development.
Shai performed several R&D positions engaging in both national and international industries, including the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
Kobi Kaminitz
Head of Imaging Systems
Kobi has over twenty years of experience in the fields of remote sensing and advanced image processing. He is a graduate of the prestigious “Talpiot” program and holds a masters in bio-medical engineering from the Technion. Founded Holon Instruments which develop deep learning algorithms for various image processing use cases.
Lior Ezrai
System Engineering
Lior served in a technological intelligence military unit, as part of her job she gained experience as advanced technological systems operator and in managing projects in front of worldwide companies and organizations.
Lior has specialized in analyzing various technological threats.
In addition, she gained a experience as satellite operator in particular and in the space industry at general.
Nir Amitai
System Engineering
Nir served in a technological military unit in IDI and holds experience in operating low earth orbit satellites.
Nir led a satellite ground station upgrade. Later he was in charge of the unit’s technological partnership with different organizations around the world.
Liav Rotenberg
System Engineering
Liav served in a technological intelligence military unit and holds advanced experience in operating satellites and software development. Managed projects in front of worldwide organizations. Managed an R&D team and has vast knowledge at the subject of space. Participated in a number of space launches.
Vlady Netzer
System Engineering
Completed his BSc studies in Aeronautical Engineering at the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, in 1977.
In 1983, achieved his MSc. in Robotics and Mechanical Engineering, at the Tel Aviv University. After six years military service in the IAF, Vlady joined IAI – Israel Aircraft Industries. He was part of the Engineering Dept. and during the late ‘80s, led the Lavi combat aircraft software team. The Lavi was one the most exciting, interesting and enriching projects in his career.
After 12 years of engineering practice in IAI, he established a testing company that grew-up very fast, becoming one of the first and most professional
testing companies in Israel. Their expertise was focused on real-time, embedded computers. In October 2017, Vlady joined SpaceIL team, and since works to test and validate the environmental testings and operational space flight systems.
Gadi Shirazi
Head of SpaceIL Wireless Communication Segment
Gadi is a genuine multidisciplinary engineering leader in the telecommunications arena.
Managed complex programs in multiple disciplines area such as RF, Wireless, HW, embedded SW, DSP, Mechanics and Manufacturing.
Gadi has high knowledge and experience in the area of wireless products and systems. He developed a high sophisticated wireless solutions for hostile environment, multiple transceivers (>50,000) system and mesh network solution for wide area coverage.
Gadi holds 29 patents and he is the author of the book “Wireless Transceiver Design: Mastering the Design of Modern Wireless Equipment and Systems” published by Wiley
Graduated for B.Sc and M.Sc in Tel Aviv University in Electrical Engineering.
Conducted courses as guest lecturer at the Tel Aviv University for B.Sc and M.Sc degree in the area of wireless design.
