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The Israeli organization SpaceIL
and the Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced Tuesday at a press conference that it hoped to become the first Israeli non-governmental entity to land a spaceship on the moon.
The spacecraft will be transferred to the United States in November, before being launched in December, and plans are in place to land on the moon on February 13, 2019. If successful, Israel would become the fourth country to land a craft on the moon, after the United States, the Soviet Union and China.
The spacecraft, which has the shape of a round table with four carbon fiber feet, will be launched from Cape Canaveralon in Florida on a SpaceX Falkon 9 rocket in December, then several times around the planet. to reach the moon. Upon landing, the craft will transmit photographs and collect data on the magnetism of the moon for the research of the Weizmann Institute of Israel.
"We are going to put the Israeli flag on the moon," said Dr. Ido Anteby, CEO of SpaceIL. "It is a small smart spacecraft, it has a diameter of 2 meters, its height is about 1.5 meters, it weighs 600 kilograms and will land on the moon at the weight of 180 kilograms."
[19659010] The spacecraft will be launched by Israel
Unlike other spacecraft, which took several days to reach the Moon, SpaceIL's spacecraft will take longer. The launcher will release the spacecraft at an altitude of 60,000 kilometers and, to save fuel, it will enter an elliptical orbit around the Earth until it reaches the moon.
According to Dr. Anteby, landing is the most complicated part of the trip.
"The chosen location is relatively flat and the spacecraft will have visual contact with the Earth … Once the spacecraft reaches the landing point, it becomes completely autonomous, the engines the block until it reaches the ground … The step will be to set up an Israeli flag on the moon, "he said.
SpaceIL promotional video
The lunar mission is scheduled to last only two days after landing. But the SpaceIL team hopes that the establishment of an Israeli module on the Moon could help maintain Israel's technological momentum for years to come.
SpaceIL is a non-profit organization created in 2011 and founded by three young engineers: Yariv Bash, Kfir Damari and Yonatan Weintraub, who participated in a global competition organized by Google's Lunar Xprize.
Three groups from around the world originally entered the competition, which opened in 2007. The competition was a modern international race between private groups to land on an unmanned spacecraft on the moon. In the space of a few years, most competitors gave up because of the complexity and complexity of the task, leaving only 16 teams to face.
The skeleton of the spaceship
Later, Google Lunar Xprize announced that a group that would not be able to sign a contract up to # 39, at the end of 2016 would automatically be removed from the race. In addition to SpaceIL, the finalists were companies from Japan, the United States, India and the international company Synergy Moon. Last January, the $ 20 million competition was dropped by the tech giant when it became clear that none of the five companies would meet the deadline.
Despite the financial pitfalls of the last few years that have almost made SpaceIL's spacecraft fail, the team is confident that the December launch will take place on time.
The team of engineers
The $ 95 million project was funded largely by the billionaire South African Morris Kahn and other donors. Kahn, the main donor and President of SpaceIL, spoke about his meeting with the three founders of SpaceIL.
"I thought it was a good idea and I asked them if they had money, so they answered" money, "they did not say. have not thought about the money, so I funded the project and I told them to start They first told me that the project would cost about $ 8 million and that It would cost $ 95 million, "said the tycoon.
"It's a great achievement," Kahn added, thanking IAI. "Without you, it would not have happened, this project will plunge the aerospace industry into the distant space … We will all remember where we were when an Israeli spacecraft landed on the moon," he declared proudly.
Joseph Weiss, President and CEO of IAI, shared his thoughts on the plan during the press conference held on the premises of the company, on the outside from Tel Aviv.
"I am proud and happy to be here at the announcement of the launch and landing dates of the first Israeli spacecraft on the Moon. It is a national history in the making As an IAI president, an industry Many years ago, Israel placed Israel in the small group of countries that develop and transmit satellites.The IAI commitment in the innovative project SpaceIL was natural, "he said.
"The cooperation of SpaceIL and IAI is an example of the amazing capabilities that can be achieved in civil space activities – activities that combine education, technology, industry, knowledge and many other activities. Company spirit.
19659048] The IAI team (Photo: Eliran Avital) “/>
The IAI team
"On a personal note, seven years ago I heard about SpaceIL. I had no doubt that IAI would participate in this ambitious and unique project. I have been following the project since its inception as director of the missile and space division at IAI. I've continued to be involved in my years as CEO, "he continues.
"The path to the moon is paved with challenges, but thanks to the professionalism, determination, and faith of all involved in the project, the Israeli spacecraft will be launched into the moon, and IAI will continue to do everything what is needed in the coming months to ensure the success of this national mission.It is usual to say that the sky is not the limit, we at IAI say that the space is not not limit, and soon we will add that the moon is not the limit, "he concluded.
The First Israeli Spaceship
According to Weiss, the purpose of the mission is not only to print the trace of Israel on the moon, but to inspire a future generation of Israelis to pursue careers in math, science and engineering
Israel has emerged as a technological titan in recent decades, producing a profusion of 39 high-tech companies and attracting heavy international investment.
"We are trying to replicate the Apollo effect in the United States," Morris told reporters to Kahn, alluding to the growing interest in science and engineering after the summer. landing of the American space program. on the moon in 1969. [19659002]
