The launch of space could make Israel the fourth country to land on the moon

At a time when high profile stories and space competitions usually involve companies like SpaceX, Boeing and others, it is easy to forget as more of a national rivalry – summon memories of the United States and the Soviet Union from the height of the race to space. A country that clearly has not forgotten those happy days? Israel, which has announced plans to be the fourth country to land a mission on the moon – after the United States, Russia and China.

With this goal in mind, he plans to launch an unmanned spacecraft in December Israel Aerospace Industries and the nonprofit organization SpaceIL. The launch will take place from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The two companies behind the launch raised $ 88 million from private donors to fund the project over the past eight years. Their tiny gear is just over 5 feet tall and points to 1,322 pounds. It will take about two months to reach the Moon, with a target date of February 13, 2019. No launch date has yet been announced.

"The launch of the first Israeli spacecraft will fill Israel, in its 70th year, with pride," said SpaceIL President Morris Kahn. "SpaceIL was previously part of Google's Lunar XPrize competition, which was promising a prize. $ 20 million for any non-governmental organization capable of landing on an unmanned spacecraft.Moon in 2014. In the end, no organization was able to achieve this even so clearly, SpaceIL was not ready to throw in the towel, just because it had missed Google's deadline. A half-decade later, it might well claim moral victory , if not financial.

If the spacecraft of the group manages to reach the moon, it will be the smallest vessel to have made it in history.On the surface of the moon, it will take videos and badorted photographs, as well as the measurement of the magnetic field e from the moon with the help of a magnetometer.

Israel Aerospace Industries hopes that the space mission will trigger an "Apollo effect" that captures the imagination of children and inspires them with the opportunity offered by STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, mathematics ).