The UV Transient Astronomy Satellite will be Israel's first space telescope project (ULTRASAT).
The ultraviolet observatory ULTRASAT will study short-duration phenomena including supernova explosions and neutron star mergers.
ULTRASAT will be launched into geostationary orbit in early 2026 by the Israel Space Agency and Weizmann Institute of Science.
NASA will launch the project and participate in its scientific programme.
"We are thrilled to join this alliance, an international endeavour that will help us better comprehend the secrets of the hot, fleeting cosmos."
ULTRASAT will provide the worldwide research community with another essential capacity for making new observations in the budding area of time domain and multimessenger astrophysics projects.
ULTRASAT can swiftly find and collect ultraviolet light from changing cosmic sources due to its large field of view.
Uri Oron, head of the Israel Space Agency at the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, remarked, "Groundbreaking research requires cutting-edge technology."
ULTRASAT needs a large field of vision, improved ultraviolet sensitivity, and real-time data management and transmission. These capabilities are available from Israel's space industry.
The Israel Space Agency is pleased of its relationship with NASA and the Israeli space industry's technical endeavour in developing the telescope.
Eli Waxman, ULTRASAT's chief researcher and Weizmann Institute astrophysicist, remarked, "This is a breakthrough effort that positions Israel at the forefront of world study."
NASA and the DESY research centre have partnered with this Israeli-led initiative because of its scientific importance.