Israel sets its sights on the moon as NASA plans its first return trip for nearly 50 years



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  •  Held by Apollo II astronauts, Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. Aldrin and Michael Collins, after their successful Moon mission; the three sat inside the glbad cage on the platform at NASA to preserve their germquarantine. Arthur Schatz / The LIFE / Getty Images Collection

  •  The astronaut Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. is captured in time by the American flag moon during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20 1969. Photo: NEIL ARMSTRONG, HO / AP1969


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Photo: Arthur Schatz / The LIFE / Getty Images Collection

Held by Apollo II astronauts, Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. Aldrin and Michael Collins, after their successful Moon mission; the three sat inside the glbad cage on the platform at NASA to preserve their germquarantine. (Photo by Arthur Schatz / The LIFE / Getty Images Collection)

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Held by Apollo II astronauts, Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. Aldrin and Michael Collins, after their successful mission of Moon; the three seated inside a glazed cage on a NASA plate to preserve their

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Photo: Arthur Schatz / The LIFE / Getty Images Collection imagery

Astronaut Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. is captured in time near the American flag planted on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969.

Astronaut Edwin E "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. is captured in time by the American flag planted on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969.

Photo: NEIL ARMSTRONG, HO

Israel sets its sights on the moon as NASA plans its first return journey for nearly 50 years

The United States is preparing to return to the moon for the first time since 1972 – but we are More The only country to attempt this feat of exploration in modern times.

On Tuesday, Israel announced that it planned to put a probe on the moon in February, which would make it the fourth country to reach the lunar surface.

"After eight difficult years, I am filled with pride that the first Israeli spacecraft, which is in its final phase of construction and testing, will soon arrive on the moon," said Morris Kahn, president of the United States. non-profit organization SpaceIL. in the construction of the spacecraft, in a statement. "The launch of the first Israeli spacecraft will proudly fill Israel, in its 70th year, it's a national achievement that will put us on the map of the world's space."

The spacecraft, which will launch in December from Cape Canaveral, will not bring humans to the surface. But he will conduct experiments to measure the magnetic field of the moon. Work on the project began in 2011.

SpaceIL – the only Israeli competitor participating in the Google Lunar XPRIZE contest that ended earlier this year without a winner – wants to launch an "Apollo effect" in Israel, according to

"The nonprofit aims to change the discourse in Israel and to encourage boys and girls to consider science, engineering, technology and mathematics as exciting opportunities for their future." The announcement comes as NASA focuses on returning to the moon as a stepping stone for a mission to Mars.

Since baduming office, President Donald Trump has made it clear that returning to the moon for the first time since 1972 is a $ 19.9 billion budget proposal from NASA for the year. Fiscal coming is forcing NASA to launch the first unmanned flight for Orion – the spacecraft destined to take humans to Mars – by 2022, followed by a launch of Soul Ransoms around the moon in 2023.

Moreover, Trump's proposal would allow the agency to start working on the foundation of an orbital lunar platform, claiming that it "would give us a strategic presence in the lunar surroundings that will guide our activity. with commercial and international partners and help us further explore the moon and its resources and translate that experience into human missions to Mars. "

Trump's proposed budget has yet to be approved by Congress.

left human footprints on the moon, which we did for the first time in July 1969. The other two countries to land on the moon are the Soviet Union in September 1959 and China in December 2013.

Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle.You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron .com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.


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