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Beresheet, which launched successfully early Friday morning, began its elliptical orbit around the Earth at a distance of 69,400 km. and is now on the way to the moon.
Scientists and technical staff at Israel Aerospace Industries headquarters have been briefed on the spacecraft's high sensitivity to sunlight in the star trackers on board, but hope this problem can be resolved. On Sunday, he will finish his first orbit around the Earth.
The solar waves in space are more powerful than expected and blind the spacecraft for the moment. Asked about the possible damage, Ephi, IAIL's SpaceIL project manager, unable to reveal his last name, told The Jerusalem Post: "It's not easy to send a spaceship to the moon, but he knows how to protect himself, God forbid, in case something happens, he can enter a "safe mode".
He explained how, at IAI headquarters and around the world, an open communication line is maintained with the spacecraft.
"There are stations around the world … that can track the spacecraft," Ephi said. He explained the location of many satellite dishes capable of following his movement even thousands of miles away. "The further the spacecraft is, the more difficult the line of communication is in terms of power, but there are enough antennas for that," he said.
In addition, the machine uses two types of solar panels to travel to the moon, the other used for landing.
"The sensor is constantly using its panels to face the sun, which charges the battery and allows the probe to work," he said.
While 500 people gathered in a room facing two giant screens waiting to take off, many held their breath: would the launch be successful or not? The tension in the room was palpable. Journalists, experts and workers gathered at IAI headquarters, while many viewers looked forward to their home. The launch was to be broadcast at 3:45 pm Israeli time, live from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 8:45 pm. IS.
An hour before the launch, people were sitting at the edge of their seats, not bothering to listen, as one IAI scientist explained, explaining the process followed by Beresheet when & # 39; He will leave Earth's atmosphere and enter the elliptical orbit of our planet for two months before surrendering. the transfer to the orbit of the moon and its slow but sure landing on the lunar surface.
In the Great Hall, many people were eating popcorn in front of the big screens eagerly awaiting takeoff – although they are more than 10,000 km from Florida – had all the attractions and enthusiasm of a new movie. This shows Israel's willingness to travel to the moon, making the Jewish state the fourth country to do so.
"All I can say is goodbye Beresheet," said Morris Kahn, president of SpaceIL, moved, who donated more than $ 40 million to the project. "Our hopes are with you, make us proud."
When Beresheet launched SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, the countdown was important. People cheered loudly and sang to the final countdown.
When Beresheet detached from the launcher to elicit loud applause, he then broke away from what the techies called "cellophane" – a euphemism for the film that wrapped the spaceship, which was pleasantly compared to the plastic with which Israelis pack festive gift baskets. during the upcoming vacation of Purim – and finally completely cleared from the launcher.
He spent 19 minutes in space, during which the audience waited to begin to enter the elliptical orbit of the Earth.
Many people applauded and observed the passage of the probe in the space.
"It gave us an immense sense of satisfaction," Kahn told the Post Office. "It's wonderful to watch this fantastic project and the planning associated with it … seeing this work in action was really exciting."
However, others, like Yariv Bash, a co-founder of SpaceIL, said the craft had not yet landed on the moon.
"It still has not happened, it's just the beginning," he said. "It was like a stone gushing from my heart." Bash noted that he and other members of SpaceIL and IAI were eagerly awaiting Beresheet's landing on the lunar surface, scheduled for April 11th.
The joint team of engineers, scientists and project managers consisted mainly of men. However, Inbal Kreiss, deputy general manager of the MBT space division, told La Poste that women can do it all.
"You can do anything, you can reach [as high as you dream]She said, adding that women "should only set the bar high for themselves".
"This is a great achievement for the State of Israel," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who attended the historic moment, in the crowd.
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