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An Israeli organization announced Tuesday its intention to launch the country's first spacecraft on the moon in December, in hopes of smoothing Israel's reputation as a small nation with high-tech ambitions from another world. weighing about 585 kilograms (1300 pounds) at launch, will land on the moon on February 13, 2019 if all goes as planned, SpaceIL told reporters.
It will be launched by a rocket from the SpaceX firm of American entrepreneur Elon Musk and his mission will include research on the magnetic field of the moon.
His first task, however, will be to plant an Israeli flag on the moon, according to the organizers.
The project began as part of the Google Lunar XPrize Millions (25 million euros) award to encourage scientists and entrepreneurs to propose relatively inexpensive moon missions.
An Israeli team, later known as SpaceIL, decided to join the fray. The Google award expired in March without a winner having reached the moon, but the team of Israel is committed to moving forward.
The private initiative is expected to cost about $ 95 million, "This will show the way to the rest of the world" to send a spacecraft to the moon at a reasonable cost, Ofer Doron said. IAI
The organizers hold a press conference on 10 July 2018 before the planned launch of the first Israeli lunar spacecraft
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