Israel will launch it’s first spacecraft to the Moon in February 2019

Israel’s Moon Mission: 

Israel will launch it’s first spacecraft in the beginning of 2019 and arrive at its destination, with a moon landing around eight weeks after launch. If successful, the mission will make the country fourth state to make a soft landing with an unmanned vehicle.  It is preceded by the Soviet Union, the United States and China since 1966. It should be noted that the United States remains the only country that has carried out a manned mission, with six successful lunar landings of the Apollo mission.

Israel first moon lander spacecraft made by SpaceIL. Image Credits: The Verge

The spacecraft is developed with private capital by the firm SpaceIL, an Israeli non-profit organization. It will be launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida (United States) in a SpaceX Falcon 9 orbital launch vehicle. Ido Anteby, CEO of SpacelL has declared in a press conference that it is the first private spacecraft, and the smallest, sent to lunar surface.

MISSION OBJECTIVES

The scientific mission of the ship is to decipher the magnetic mysteries of the lunar rocks. “The research is carried out in cooperation with scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovoy, and they will use a magnetometer to try to understand how the rocks received their magnetism, according to the Haaretz newspaper, they will also take photographs, record a video and  “they will even make a selfie, “said Yosi Weis, president of the IAI Israel Aerospace Industries.

ISRAEL’S MOON MISSION: A LONGER TRIP THAN USUAL

The trip will be longer than usual in past missions because it will be launched in an elliptical orbit around the Earth that will gradually bring it closer to the satellite. This way they will not load the additional fuel that is necessary for a faster trip and, therefore, the launch weight is reduced.

Yosi Weis recalled that NASA counted as “satisfactory” the mission to the moon in six countries, although only three have made controlled landings. So, if all goes well, “Israel will enter the exclusive club of nations that have so far made controlled landings on the lunar surface,” said Weis.

The Israeli project began eight years ago and SpaceIL has invested some 88.5 million dollars (75.2 million euros) in its development.  By the end of this year, preparations will begin to match the commercial rocket that will take it into the atmosphere. “As soon as the ship reaches the point of hallucination it will be completely autonomous – explained the director of SpacelL – the engine will brake and the device will descend at zero speed for a soft landing”. “Then, we will place the Israeli flag on the Moon,” he added.

The mission will conclude two days after arriving. When finished “the ship will stay on the lunar surface  waiting for new generations may pick it up,” said Weis and noted that “although the road to the moon is not easy, space is the future of humanity”