Israel will launch its first lunar space mission in December

Screenshot of a video of a press conference showing SpaceIL spacecraft

The Israeli non-profit SpaceIL announced on Tuesday that he was going to land on an unmanned spacecraft. Moon in February 2019.

The project culminated with the design of an Israeli lunar probe, which SpaceIL claimed to launch regardless of the outcome of the fight. The satellite itself will be the smallest spaceship lunar exploration ever designed. Kahn said that if they shot the moonshot, it would be "a huge feat". "From the moment the spacecraft reaches the point where it starts the landing, it will manage it completely autonomously." The Google Lunar Award was intended to reward the first commercial organization to land a spacecraft on the moon.

The development and launch costs of the spacecraft amounted to $ 95 million, with the necessary funds coming from private donations, including a crowdfunding campaign. A grant of 100 million NIS (about $ 22 million) from Israeli businessman Morris Kahn. The landing would result in eight years of collaboration on the $ 88 million project.

"It's a small smart spaceship," said SpaceIL CEO Dr. Ido Anteby

. Silver prices – although 20 million dollars would have been fine, "said SpaceIL CEO Ido Anteby.

The dimensions of the spacecraft are 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) and 2 meters The Google price expired in March without a winner having reached the moon, but the Israel team was committed to going forward

"What we do, is that we try to replicate the Apollo. effect in the United States, "Kahn told reporters, referring to the growing interest in science and engineering after the space program USA landed on the moon in 1969. Filled with fuel, it would weigh 585 kilograms when it is launched, but it would have to land on the moon weighing only 180 kilograms as it would burn off most of the fuel.The data will be transmitted to the control room of the aircraft. IAI during the two days following the landing.

The purpose of the mission is not only to place an Israeli spacecraft on the moon, but to inspire a future generation of Israelis to pursue their career, mathematics, science and engineering, said Joseph Weiss, president and CEO of IAI

One of the goals of the mission is to generate interest in the business. space among Israeli youth. SpaceIL participated in the Google Lunar XPrize competition, which ended earlier this year without a final winner. In recent years, SpaceIL has sparked the imagination of about 900,000 children nationwide, with the help of an extensive network of volunteers.