SpaceIL Beresheet Now in Lunar Orbit

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After firing its engines for six minutes, the LG Beresheet Moon went from a highly elliptical Earth orbit to a new lunar orbit.

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SpaceIL Lunar Lander Beresheet takes a selfie in his journey to the Moon. Photo credit: SpaceIL

After firing its engines for six minutes, the LG Beresheet Moon went from a highly elliptical Earth orbit to a new lunar orbit.

At 10:18 am EDT (1418 GMT) on 4 April 2019, the spacecraft launched its engine to slow its relative speed against the 1,000-kilometer Moon at 4,700 kilometers, placing it in a elliptical lunar orbit.

"The lunar capture is a historical event in itself, but it also joins Israel in a seven-nation club that has entered the moon's orbit," SpaceIL president Morris Kahn said in a statement. press. "In a week, we will write more stories landing on the moon, alongside three superpowers who did it. Today, I am proud to be Israeli. "

The engineers applaud as the lunar lander from SpaceIL successfully enters lunar orbit. Photo credit: SpaceIL

The spacecraft was launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on February 22 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The 1,290-pound vehicle (585 kilograms) slowly climbed into Earth's orbit to make a slow-speed transfer into the lunar space. The maneuver prepares the probe for a landing of April 11 in the sea of ​​serenity.

"After six weeks in space, we managed to overcome another critical step by entering the gravity of the moon," said SpaceIL CEO Io Antenby in a press release. "This is another important achievement that our engineering team has achieved while demonstrating determination and creativity to find solutions to unforeseen problems. We still have a long way to go before the lunar landing, but I am confident that our team will complete the mission of landing on the first Israeli spacecraft on the Moon, which makes us all proud. "

Beresheet, in Hebrew for Genesis, is the first private lunar lander to be launched. Built by SpaceIL, an Israeli non-profit organization, it offers some simple experiments, including a laser retroreflector from NASA's Goddard Flight Center and a magnetometer from the Weizmann Institute of Science.

The retroreflector is designed to allow precise measurements of the lunar distance and is similar to those left on the moon by astronauts during Apollo missions.

In addition to the scientific instruments, Beresheet wears a time capsule containing the Torah, a complete copy of the English version of Wikipedia as well as a copy of the Israeli Declaration of Independence. The craft also carries schoolchildren drawings and the Israeli flag.

Although the path to the lunar surface is long, the spacecraft should not operate for a short time. After a smooth touch, Beresheet should only transmit information two days before the heat of the lunar day damages the electronics.

Video courtesy of SpaceIL

Tagged: Beresheet Moon SpaceIL Lead Stories

Joe Latrell

Joe Latrell has been a space enthusiast ever since and has created his own
rocket company in Roswell, NM, in addition to other consumer spaces
efforts. He continues to design, build and launch his own rockets and is passionate about seeing the next generation excited about the possibilities offered by space exploration. Joe shares his experiences in the field of business and small business with organizations such as Teachers In Space, Inc. He is also actively engaged in his church, investing his many skills to help this business and other businesses with purpose non-profit.