The 64th Annual Israeli Conference on Aerospace Sciences

The 64th Annual Israeli Conference on Aerospace Sciences – the most significant annual event for Israel’s aerospace community – will be held at the Technion on March 20. This highly anticipated conference attracts engineers, scientists, and experts in aeronautics and astronautics from academic institutions, space agencies, and aerospace industries in Israel and abroad. Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan will open the event, followed by a keynote address from conference chair Judith Hocherman, a graduate of the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering and currently VP of Research at Rafael.

Featured Keynote Speakers

Col. (Res.) Dror Ben David

A Technion physics graduate (with honors), Ben David served in the Israeli Air Force (IAF) for 27 years, commanding F-15 and F-16 squadrons. He now leads neural networks research labs at Matrix IT and has participated in numerous military operations, including the First Lebanon War and the Gulf War. His talk will cover various topics, including air taxis, hypersonic technologies, satellite swarms, AI in aviation, and air traffic management.

David Vallado

A former senior officer in the U.S. Air Force, Vallado is a senior researcher at COMSPOC, a company specializing in space software, and a member of the American Astronautical Society. He holds a bachelor’s degree in astronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy and two master’s degrees from the University of Southern California. Vallado is also the author of a widely used textbook on astrodynamics. His lecture will address the challenges of satellite movement planning in increasingly crowded low-Earth orbit, including issues related to gravity, atmospheric conditions, and uncertainty.

Prof. Wei Shyy

A professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and its former president, Prof. Shyy is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and has received numerous prestigious awards, including the rank of Officer in the French Legion of Honor. His expertise spans aerodynamics, propulsion, bio-inspired flight, energy generation and storage. At the conference, he will discuss emerging technologies, the rise of private-sector space initiatives, and the potential of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and aerial vehicles – systems equipped with advanced sensing and communication technologies relevant to environmental monitoring, commerce, and emergency response.

On the day before the conference, Prof. Shyy will receive the Hanin Prize in the presence of Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan.

For the conference program click here

Technion Faculty of Aerospace Engineering
The Technion Faculty of Aerospace Engineering is Israel’s only academic faculty in this field and is ranked among the world’s top 40 aerospace faculties. It has produced generations of aeronautical and space engineers who now lead key industries. Notable alumni include:

• Boaz Levy, CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)
• Dr. Eliad Peretz, head of Space Technology & Missions Development at NASA
• Dr. Neta Blum, division head at the Ministry of Defense, and recognized among Forbes “30 Under 30” and Jerusalem Post “Top 50 Influential Leaders”
• Yigal Harel, head of Israel’s Beresheet lunar mission
• Maya Glickman Pariente, founder of space-tech company Spacialis

The Faculty offers advanced degrees in fields such as aerodynamics, propulsion, autonomous navigation, flight control, fluid mechanics, distributed space systems, and collaborative autonomous systems.

Dean of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering: Prof. Daniela Raveh, a faculty alumna.

The Hanin Prize
The Hanin Prize is awarded in memory of Prof. Meir Hanin (1923–1999), one of the founders of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering and a pioneer of supersonic aeronautics in Israel. Born in Poland, Hanin immigrated to Israel in 1940, studied mathematics and physics at the Hebrew University, and began his career at Rafael. He completed his Ph.D. under Prof. Sydney Goldstein, who played a key role in establishing the Technion Aerospace Faculty. Prof. Hanin joined the Faculty as a professor in 1955.