Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd was founded in 1948 as part of the Military Science Corps of the IDF and became a government-owned limited company in 2001. Rafael is one of the largest defence companies in Israel with 8000 employees. 

Rafael focusses on spectrum of high-tech systems for air, land, sea and space applications. Rafael’s core technologies in space industry are as follows

• Space Propulsion,
• Composite materials
• Micro-satellite technologies
• Airborne launchers

Rafael provides Hydrazine based and electric propulsion solutions for space application. Rafael space propulsion line of products are satellite propulsion systems, propellant tanks, propulsion thrusters for satellites and launchers and propulsion system valves. Rafael also has demonstrated expertise and heritage in loading propellants such as Hydrazine and Xenon for satellites and launchers.

Rafael’s Space composite structures include telescope structures, satellite panel structures, deployable antenna ribs structures, propellant tanks, hydrazine thrusters and propulsion valves. 

Flight heritage

The propulsion modules have extensive flight heritage. They are integrated over seventy in-orbit satellites including OFEQ, EROS, TecSAR. The propellant tanks and hydrazine thrusters are onboard the Globalstar-2 constellations, Galileo IOV, SENTINEL-1 constellations, O3B constellations, SAC-D, NEOSAT, EXOMARS 2016 and 2020, IXV, CERES, COSMO SG, SAOCOM, among many others. Rafael’s qualified Electric Propulsion system is used in the joint CNES/ISA dual mission (Scientific / Technological) Venus satellite launched in 2017. Rafael’s products have exhibited remarkable mission success rate.

Space quality management

Rafael Quality system is certified to ISO 9001:2015/AS9100D. The quality policy of Rafael is derived from the common space quality standards, especially from ESA. Rafael ensures 100% inspection on the space products from the raw materials used to final integration. ERP integrated quality system enables full traceability from raw material to the delivered item. 

Production, testing and inspection facilities

• Clean rooms more than 1000 m²
  • Clean Room Component Level
  • Clean Room PS-AIT
• Metal Technology Center
  • CAD/CAM, CNC machining
  • Electro-Erosion
  • Forming, hydro-spinning, deep hot and cold-drawing
  • Surface treatment, heat treatment
  • Welding (EBW, GTAW, GMAW, plasma), brazing
  • Cutting, bending and flaring of titanium tubes
• Hot Firing test facility which includes 5 Firing Chambers
  • Chambers for 1÷10 N class thrusters
  • Chamber for High Trust thrusters and/or system tests
  • Chamber for Hall effect thruster & EP system firing
• Ground support equipment for testing components and systems
• GSE propulsion systems electrical tester