About Eytan

The Ramon Foundation and the Israel Space Agency in the Ministry of Innovation Science and Technology, have sent the second Israeli, EYTAN STIBBE, into space, on a historic mission. The purpose of the ‘Rakia’ mission was to inspire the younger generation while advancing and expanding Israel's space industry.

 

On April 8th, 2022, the Rakia mission blasted off into space, making a safe landing in the International Space Station. Making history as the first Israeli mission to reach the Space Station, Israel became a significant contributing member to the development of the global space industry and improving life on earth. AX1, an enterprise initiated and led by the Axion Space company, the first mission to the International Space Station – subject to approval by NASA, was manned entirely by private astronauts. As such, it brought tidings of a revolution in manned flights to space, a revolution that worked to generate substantial progress in the field. Among three other crewmembers, Eytan Stibbe, became the second Israeli in Space and the first in the International Space Station. Stibbe, a close friend of the Ramon family, was  the second Israeli in space, and the first in the international space station.

 

The mission, headed in Israel by the Ramon Foundation in conjunction with the Israel Space Agency in the Ministry of Science and Technology, facilitated the promotion of various of topics which will contribute enormously to Israeli society and humankind. The ‘Rakia’ mission served as an example of extraordinary collaboration between diverse factors, manifesting values of peace, innovation and social responsibility. Ramon Foundation’s vision is to inspire and connect the younger generation to space exploration, the mission proving that anything is possible. The mission enabled Israeli entrepreneurs and researchers to advance innovative ideas and provided a rare opportunity for them to test their enterprises in a unique atmosphere, thereby contributing to international and Israeli research industries. In addition, the mission made diversified educational activities accessible to all Israeli children, being the first time that International Space Station information was available in Hebrew. 

 

In addition, series of new Israeli art works were shown under sub-gravity conditions. The Rakia mission was part of Israel's Ministry of Innovation Science and Technology’s extensive strategy to turn Israel into a world class space superpower, generating a local Eco-system of approximately 350 companies in the field of Civil Space, providing a livelihood to around 25 thousand employees and being responsible for about 0.5 billion dollars in annual private investments in the Israeli industry. We invite you to join us on this exciting journey.