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Rakia Mission

There Is No Dream Beyond Reach

Dragon Spaceship in space

About Eytan

Eytan Stibbe is a social impact investor and Israeli philanthropist. He has spent years working to advance marginalized populations in developing countries. Eytan was a fighter jet pilot and flight instructor in the Israeli Air Force with the rank of colonel. While in the Air Force, Eytan Stibbe and Ilan Ramon became close friends during their military service. When Ramon was practicing for his upcoming space mission, Stibbe visited Ilan and his family in Houston as well as the NASA training facilities.

 

Being exposed to the concept of space exploration, Stibbe realized that aside from its scientific importance, the field aroused a great deal of curiosity amongst humankind, regardless of background or age. Ilan Ramon never came back from his space mission and the ties between the two families strengthened over time. Since then, Stibbe has kept track of the progress made in space exploration, including industrial advancements and technological innovations.Since then, Stibbe has kept track of the progress made in space exploration, including industrial advancements and technological innovations. The moment it became possible to fly privately (rather than through the government space agencies), Eytan jumped on the opportunity to make his dream come true. As an envoy of the Ramon Foundation, Eytan Stibbe became Israel’s second astronaut to land in space on April 8th, 2022.

About The Mission

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.

Rakia on AX-1 Mission

In April 2022, the Rakia Mission made history as part of the AX-1 mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), achieving remarkable breakthroughs in education, science, and art. This inspirational mission showed that There is no dream is beyond reach!
The AX-1 mission featured 4 astronauts, including astronaut Eytan Stibbe, the first israeli astronaut in the international space station who embarked on this historic national endeavor.
Over its 17-day duration, Rakia Mission featured a range of scientific experiments, showcased inspiring artworks, and organized educational activities for students and the general public, both in Israel and worldwide. Rakia Mission broadcasted content from space in Hebrew for the first time ever.
During the mission, Rakia in collaboration with Axiom, successfully introduced a groundbreaking open-source approach to human spaceflight missions for the general public: educators, students, artists, academia, hospitals, and private companies, were invited to devise the mission's program. This inclusive approach resulted in a fruitful and impactful collaboration among various entities, leading to innovative developments, educational activities, and an impressive total of 95 distinct contributions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
On January 2023, Rakia relaunched as a public-benefit corporation (PBC).
Here are a few of our current projects:
Advance The Space Ecosystem in Israel
Israel Space Forum – A collaborative initiative between Rakia Mission and Israel Space Agency at the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, aims to propel the Israeli space ecosystem to new heights. By fostering collaborations, empowering civilian space enterprises, and providing essential services, the forum serves as a catalyst for advancing the nation’s space industry.
Israeli activities onboard the International Space Station
By partnering with international commercial entities, new opportunities are created for researchers and entrepreneurs to send experiments to the International Space Station. Rakia also enables access for Israeli companies, artists, educators and students to engage in international space initiatives
Universities and Colleges Space Community
Our mission is to gather israeli students from universities and colleges, fostering both local and international collaborations while creating opportunities in academia and the Israeli and global space industry.
Space for All
Developing inspiring educational content for the general public, including videos, games and lesson plans. Rakia organize exhibitions and visitor centers for the general public that explore the fascinating field of space. These exhibits showcase the story of space missions, the experiences of astronauts, and insights into daily life and scientific work aboard the International Space Station.
Art and Culture
Rakia engages artists from diverse fields, offering a platform for innovative expression and collective imagination in the realm of space exploration. Our projects and activities emphasize the concept of "space for everyone," challenging the idea that space is exclusively the domain of exact science researchers.

About Eytan

Eytan Stibbe is a social impact investor and Israeli philanthropist. He has spent years working to advance marginalized populations in developing countries. Eytan was a fighter jet pilot and flight instructor in the Israeli Air Force with the rank of colonel. While in the Air Force, Eytan Stibbe and Ilan Ramon became close friends during their military service. When Ramon was practicing for his upcoming space mission, Stibbe visited Ilan and his family in Houston as well as the NASA training facilities.

 

Being exposed to the concept of space exploration, Stibbe realized that aside from its scientific importance, the field aroused a great deal of curiosity amongst humankind, regardless of background or age. Ilan Ramon never came back from his space mission and the ties between the two families strengthened over time. Since then, Stibbe has kept track of the progress made in space exploration, including industrial advancements and technological innovations.Since then, Stibbe has kept track of the progress made in space exploration, including industrial advancements and technological innovations. The moment it became possible to fly privately (rather than through the government space agencies), Eytan jumped on the opportunity to make his dream come true. As an envoy of the Ramon Foundation, Eytan Stibbe became Israel’s second astronaut to land in space on April 8th, 2022.

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The Team

  • Eytan Stibbe - Astronaut, Director 

  • Meirav Catriel-Straker - Director  

  • Hadar Vernik Shalev - CEO  

  • Melody Korman – Executive Director, Israel Space Forum  

  • Maayan Honig - Project and Partnerships Manager  

  • Maya Shmit Younger - Head of Education and Development  

  • Hadas Gur Arie - Head of Art 

  • Yuval Slupsky - Media Manager  

  • Yuval Priel - Content Development, Data Analysis, and Research

  • Odeya Geulayov - Video Editor  

  • Kelly Ymar - Spokesperson  

AX-1 Rakia Mission Crew

Eytan Stibbe

Astronaut

Ran Livne

CEO - Ramon Foundation

Meirav Catriel Shtarker

Rakia Mission Director

Inbal Kreiss

Chairperson of the scientific committee

Hadar Vernik

Director of the Education Committee

Gil Pelleg

Chairperson of International relations committee

Melody Korman

Flight Operations Manager

Hadar Vernik

Director of the Committee

Sari Roth

VP at Kamatech

Shelly Ron Adiv

Community and Education manager at the Israel Space Agency

Maya Golan

Director of Family Philanthropy, JNF Israel

Adi Altschuler

founder of the "Krembo Wings" youth movement, founder of "Memories@Home", founder of "Inclu-Inclusive Schools"

Yaniv Waizman

Founder and ceo at teenk, founder and chairman at IGY & Council member at TLV municipality

Shirin Nautar Hafi

Director of the ORT Lod School of Science and Engineering

Bar Machluf

Winner of the Ramon Award for 2021

Maayan Honig

Educational mission coordinator

Maya Shamit

Educational mission coordinator

Inbal Kreiss

Chairperson of the scientific committee 

Mr. Avi Blasberger

Director, Israel Space Agency, Ministry of Science and Technology

Dr. Osnat Luxenburg

Head of the Medical Technologies, Information and Research Division, Ministry of Health

Mr. Tzachi Shenrach

Head of the Technologies and Market Industries Division, Deputy Director Innovation Authority

Prof. Avishai Eyal

Head of the Optics and Photonics Laboratory, Program head of undergrad studies at the School of Electrical Engineering Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University

Prof. Ehud Bechar

Dean of the Faculty of Physics, expert at Astrophysics Former Director of Asher Space Center, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Prof. Orit Shefi

Head of Bio-Engineering program, member at the institute of nanotechnologies and neuro-science Faculty of Engineering Bar Ilan University

Dr. Jacob Cohen

Chief Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center & Ramon Foundation advisor

Prof. Dan Blumberg

Head of the Remote Sensing and Imaging Laboratory Vice President of Regional-Industrial Development, Ben Gurion University

Prof. Dror Heretz

Faculty member in Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University Head of Research Authority at Sheba Medical Center. CEO and founder of VBL Biotech Co.

Dr. Shir Stibbe

 MD Pediatric resident at Sheba Medical Center. Backup astronaut for Ax-1. Donor’s representative. 

Eliran Raphael Hamo

Director of Scientific Payload

Udi Edelman

Art Curator

Hadas Gur Arie

Art Mission Coordinator

Gil Pelleg

Chairman of the committee, Israeli Space Agency

Amit Stibbe

Donors Representative

Rami Brnadiner

Committee Coordinator

Kelly Ymar

Spokeswoman and communication manager of the 'Rakia' mission,  PR team lead. kelly@shalomtelaviv.com, Mobile 050-5233363

Mor Ben Kalifa

Media consultant at the 'Rakia' mission PR team

Lirin Hasson

Social media manager at the 'Rakia' mission PR team

Mia Balaban

Media consultant at the 'Rakia' mission PR team. Mia@shalomtelaviv.com

Sivan Fidelman

Media consultant at the 'Rakia' mission PR team

Asaf Kupferstein

Social media advisor at the 'Rakia' mission PR team

Ori Ben Josef

Social media advisor at the 'Rakia' mission PR team

Steering Committee

Eytan Stibbe

Astronaut

Ran Livne

CEO - Ramon Foundation

Meirav Catriel Shtarker

Rakia Mission Director

Inbal Kreiss

Chairperson of the scientific committee

Hadar Vernik

Director of the Education Committee

Gil Pelleg

Chairperson of International relations committee

Melody Korman

Flight Operations Manager

Education Committee

Hadar Vernik

Director of the Committee

Sari Roth

VP at Kamatech

Shelly Ron Adiv

Community and Education manager at the Israel Space Agency

Maya Golan

Director of Family Philanthropy, JNF Israel

Adi Altschuler

founder of the "Krembo Wings" youth movement, founder of "Memories@Home", founder of "Inclu-Inclusive Schools"

Yaniv Waizman

Founder and ceo at teenk, founder and chairman at IGY & Council member at TLV municipality

Shirin Nautar Hafi

Director of the ORT Lod School of Science and Engineering

Bar Machluf

Winner of the Ramon Award for 2021

Maayan Honig

Educational mission coordinator

Maya Shamit

Educational mission coordinator

Scientific Committee

Inbal Kreiss

Chairperson of the scientific committee 

Mr. Avi Blasberger

Director, Israel Space Agency, Ministry of Science and Technology

Dr. Osnat Luxenburg

Head of the Medical Technologies, Information and Research Division, Ministry of Health

Mr. Tzachi Shenrach

Head of the Technologies and Market Industries Division, Deputy Director Innovation Authority

Prof. Avishai Eyal

Head of the Optics and Photonics Laboratory, Program head of undergrad studies at the School of Electrical Engineering Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University

Prof. Ehud Bechar

Dean of the Faculty of Physics, expert at Astrophysics Former Director of Asher Space Center, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Prof. Orit Shefi

Head of Bio-Engineering program, member at the institute of nanotechnologies and neuro-science Faculty of Engineering Bar Ilan University

Dr. Jacob Cohen

Chief Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center & Ramon Foundation advisor

Prof. Dan Blumberg

Head of the Remote Sensing and Imaging Laboratory Vice President of Regional-Industrial Development, Ben Gurion University

Prof. Dror Heretz

Faculty member in Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University Head of Research Authority at Sheba Medical Center. CEO and founder of VBL Biotech Co.

Dr. Shir Stibbe

 MD Pediatric resident at Sheba Medical Center. Backup astronaut for Ax-1. Donor’s representative. 

Eliran Raphael Hamo

Director of Scientific Payload

Arts Committee

Udi Edelman

Art Curator

Hadas Gur Arie

Art Mission Coordinator

International-Relations Committee

Gil Pelleg

Chairman of the committee, Israeli Space Agency

Amit Stibbe

Donors Representative

Rami Brnadiner

Committee Coordinator

Communications Team

Kelly Ymar

Spokeswoman and communication manager of the 'Rakia' mission,  PR team lead. kelly@shalomtelaviv.com, Mobile 050-5233363

Mor Ben Kalifa

Media consultant at the 'Rakia' mission PR team

Lirin Hasson

Social media manager at the 'Rakia' mission PR team

Mia Balaban

Media consultant at the 'Rakia' mission PR team. Mia@shalomtelaviv.com

Sivan Fidelman

Media consultant at the 'Rakia' mission PR team

Asaf Kupferstein

Social media advisor at the 'Rakia' mission PR team

Ori Ben Josef

Social media advisor at the 'Rakia' mission PR team

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