"Today, September 6, 2004 at 1:53 pm (1053 GMT) an unsuccessful attempt was made to launch into orbit a remote sensing satellite," a ministry statement said.

"The source of the malfunction in the third stage is being investigated by experts from the MOD and the involved industries," it said.

The ministry said the satellite crashed into the sea after a launcher malfunction.

"The satellite did not explode. There was apparently a (launcher) malfunction in the third stage ... (and) it sank into the Mediterranean Sea hundreds of kilometres (miles) from shore," the ministry said.

The satellite is seen as a major asset for Israel's military intelligence services, and is considered one of the most advanced in the world, the radio said.

The satellite and its launcher were developed by a consortium of high-tech industries including Israel Military Industries, Rafael, Elbit Systems and Elisra.

On May 28, 2002, Israel launched the Ofek 5 satellite to keep an eye on its neighbours and lift it into an exclusive club of states with satellite programmes.

According to military experts, Ofek 5, which circles the earth every 90 minutes, provides pictures of troop movements, missile-launcher locations and the construction of nuclear sites.

It is capable of taking pictures of objects as small as a metre (yard) in length from an altitude of 450 kilometres (280 miles).

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