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SpaceIL was one of Google's Lunar Xprize finalists, which ended without a winner. If the probe had landed, she would have had several scientific experiments. This includes measuring the local magnetic field using a magnetometer and transporting a network of laser retroreflectors manufactured by NASA to measure the precise distance between the Earth and the Moon. He also brought a time capsule containing a copy of Wikipedia, Wearable Rosetta Disk, Torah, children's drawings, memoirs of a Holocaust survivor and more.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Beresheet in a high Earth orbit on 22 February. He spent the next two months clearing his way to the moon's orbit and was supposed to land in the northern hemisphere. This technique, although unusual, was designed to save fuel – once the probe had landed, it was out of energy for a few days at most.
<img alt = "Israeli Space Vehicle Beresheet" data-caption = "Israeli Space Vehicle Beresheet" data-credit = "SpaceIL Images / Beresheet Probe" data-credit-link-back = "" data-dam-provider = "" data-local-id = "local-1-3029345-1555252721682" data-media-id = "02c059ff-8379-48bb-82e7-c7c4f41b5890" data-original-url = "https://s.yimg.com/os / creatr-uploaded-images / 2019-04 / df0abcc0-5ec2-11e9-bfff-8624ca39625c "data-title =" Beresheet Israel Space Vehicle "src =" https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?crop= 900% 2C630% 2C0% 2C0% 2C0 & quality = The size of the items is the same size;
Unfortunately, when approaching, the engine stopped. The mission control was able to put it back online after a system reset, but the probe had already lost too much altitude to get rid of excessive speed. When it came in contact with the surface, it was moving at about 300 MPH vertically, depending on the final telemetry values.
A few minutes before this happened, he broke a selfie with the Moon quickly approaching in the background. Shortly after, the much closer picture at the top of the page was taken.
Other than the high-speed crash, SpaceIL's attempt was rather successful. This is only the fourth country to install a spaceship on the moon – even in pieces – after the United States, the former Soviet Union and China. He managed to do it with a mission cost of only $ 100 million, a tiny percentage of all previous efforts. The company said it was encouraged by early efforts and that it was planning to build another Beresheet lander to "complete its mission".
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