Col. Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut, will be taking off as part of the crew of NASA’s space shuttle Columbia in July. In addition to the intense pre-flight training he has undergone - he will serve as a payload specialist - Ramon is also preparing for Shabbat observance in space. He has asked local Florida rabbis when he should commemorate the weekly day of rest, in light of the fact that he will see the sun \"rise and set\" each time he circles the Earth - every 90 minutes. While Col. Ramon does not identify himself as particularly religious, the London Sunday Telegraph quoted him as saying, “I feel I am representing all Jews and all Israelis.” There have been Jewish astronauts in the past, but Ramon is the first to insist on observing kashrut and Shabbat.
One of the Torah scholars consulted on the issue, Rabbi Levy Yitzchak Halperin, has ruled that Ramon is exempt from the Sabbath prohibitions, as he will not be experiencing Earth time.
Ramon, of Tel Aviv, is married and has four children. From 1994 until his selection for the NASA mission, he was head of the Department of Operational Requirement for Weapon Development and Acquisition of the Israeli Air Force.
One of the Torah scholars consulted on the issue, Rabbi Levy Yitzchak Halperin, has ruled that Ramon is exempt from the Sabbath prohibitions, as he will not be experiencing Earth time.
Ramon, of Tel Aviv, is married and has four children. From 1994 until his selection for the NASA mission, he was head of the Department of Operational Requirement for Weapon Development and Acquisition of the Israeli Air Force.