List of Israeli Astronauts

Israel’s connection to space is compact but meaningful: a small number of missions and a lot of national interest have made each Israeli spacefarer notable at home and abroad. Whether viewed for science, diplomacy, or inspiration, the people who have flown represent milestones in Israel’s space story.

There are 2 Israeli Astronauts, ranging from Eytan Stibbe to Ilan Ramon. For each person, you’ll find below the key details organized as Birth year, Missions (year), Role so you can quickly compare service dates, mission names and their responsibilities on flight.

Who are the Israeli astronauts and what missions did they fly?

Israel’s two space travelers are Ilan Ramon, who flew on STS-107 (2003) as a payload specialist and became a national symbol after the Columbia tragedy, and Eytan Stibbe, who flew on the private Axiom/ISS mission (2022) as a mission specialist and researcher. The list below gives their birth years, the missions they participated in (with year), and the role they served.

How should I use the Birth year, Missions (year), Role columns?

Use Birth year to see generational context, Missions (year) to track chronology and mission type, and Role to understand each astronaut’s responsibilities; together the columns make it easy to sort, filter, or cite the entries for research, teaching, or quick reference — you’ll find those fields populated for each astronaut below.

Israeli Astronauts

Images and Descriptions

Ilan Ramon

Israeli Air Force pilot turned astronaut; flew as Israel’s first astronaut on STS-107 in 2003. Carried Israeli experiments and cultural items; died with the Columbia crew on reentry, becoming a national hero and symbol of Israel’s human spaceflight ambitions.

Eytan Stibbe

Israeli former fighter pilot and businessman who flew as a private astronaut on Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) in 2022 to the ISS. Brought scientific payloads and cultural projects for Israel, boosting private Israeli human spaceflight and education outreach.