Nine satellites no bigger than shoeboxes rocketed skyward from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying with them the dreams of Israeli high school students and the ambitions of a nation.

Classrooms across Israel erupted today in celebration as the Israel Space Agency’s “Tevel 2” project achieved what many thought impossible by bringing the wonders of the cosmos to often overlooked communities.

In Yirka, a Druze village tucked into the northern Galilee hills, grandparents who never finished school now brag about how their grandkids built the first Druze satellite in history. Herzliya’s communication hub buzzes with activity, screens displaying real-time data while students who previously couldn’t be bothered with homework debate orbital mechanics.