[ad_1]
Israel will launch a spacecraft on the moon in December and when it reaches its destination, two months later, it will become the fourth country to make a controlled landing. It is also the first privately funded unmanned aircraft for this type of mission
The Israeli Aviation Industry (IAI) and the Israeli non-profit organization SpaceIL today presented At a press conference, the mission, featuring the smallest spacecraft, up to now, to travel the 384,000 kilometers that separate the Earth from its satellite.
The SpaceIL spacecraft will depart from Cape Canaveral, Florida (USA) and make the trip to the moon in about two months, much more than usual, as it will launch into an elliptical orbit that will will gradually move closer to the satellite, so as not to charge the extra fuel needed for faster travel.
Yosi Weis, president of IAI, He recalled that NASA judged "satisfactory" the missions on the Moon of six countries, although only three made controlled landings: the Soviets were the first, in February 1966; in June of the same year, the Americans arrived, and in 2013, the Chinese
So, if all goes well, "Israel will enter the exclusive club" of nations that have until 39; Here are the landings The Israeli project started eight years ago and SpaceIL has invested some 88.5 million dollars (75.2 million euros) in its development.
In November, the small ship will be taken to Cape Canaveral (United States), where preparations will begin to match the Falcon 9 commercial rocket that will take it out of the atmosphere and reach its goal of 39, here mid-February 2019.
"As soon as the spacecraft reaches the landing point, it will be completely autonomous" explained SpaceIL's director, Ido Anteby. "The engine will brake and the plane will descend at zero speed for a smooth landing."
"Then we will place the Israeli flag on the moon," he concluded with a smile.
Once on the lunar floor, the device will carry After the experiments of the Weizman Scientific Institute to measure the magnetic field of the Moon, he will take pictures, record videos "and even do a selfi" , he said. he will remain on the lunar surface "until the new generations pick it up" Weis noted, noting that "if the road to the moon is not easy, space is the future." of Humanity "
The ship, which still has no name, is small: one and a half meters high and its diameter, when its feet are extended, is 2 meters.
At the time of its launch it will weigh about 600 kilos, but when you reach Luna will have lost 75% of its weight, since it will have spent the fuel.
SpaceIL was one of five finalists for the XPRIZE lunar competition convened by Google in 2007, which would reward with $ 30 million (25, 5 million euros) to the one who sent the first unmanned private plane to the Moon.
Although the contest officially ends with no winner at the end of March this year, after several extensions, the competition continues without the endowment
SpaceIL continued its project, financed mainly by the man Millionaire businessman, Morris Khan, who insisted that they "do the story". In the same way as "everyone remembers where the day [Neil] Armstrong set foot on the moon, we will always remember where we were when Israel reached the moon" did he said. EFE
msg / ms / cr
Source link
