Israeli spacecraft keeps heading to the moon despite navigation problem

Thursday, March 7, 2019 at 15:14 | & # 39; אדר א & # 39; תשע"ט

The first Israeli spacecraft successfully executed a maneuver Thursday to maintain the course for a lunar landing, despite the malfunction of its Star Tracker navigation system.

"Today at 15:11 (Israel time), a Beresheet probe maneuver was successfully completed by the ground crew of SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries. The Beresheet probe is en route to an elliptical orbit, whose maximum distance is 270,000 kilometers from Earth, "said SpaceIL in a statement.

"The maneuver was complicated because of the need to deal with the constraints of star trackers, but was successfully completed as planned. During the maneuver, the main Beresheet engine was activated for 152 seconds, "he added.

The next maneuver should take place in about two weeks.

The satellite is expected to land on the surface of the moon on April 11.