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An Israeli non-profit affiliated with the local hi-tech and research communities is planning to launch a spacecraft to the moon as an educational endeavor.
By: Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News
The SpaceIL organization announced Tuesday that it will be sending a small, unmanned spacecraft to the moon in December, with an expected landing date of February 13, 2019.
It will be launched on a SpaceX missile from Cape Canaveral, Florida, which will release its history-making cargo 60,000 kilometers from the moon. The spaceship will go around the Earth in an ever-widening, elliptical orbit that will eventually enable it to cross paths with the moon.
At that point, it is supposed to fire its engines in order to slow down and get into a lunar orbit, eventually landing gently on the rocky surface.
“It’s a small, smart spaceship,” said SpaceIL CEO Dr. Ido Anteby. “It’s a meter and a half by two meters, and will weigh 600 kg. at takeoff. Most of its weight is fuel, and when it lands it will [only] weigh 180 kg. It will be in contact with ground stations all over the world; we’ll be in radio contact with it throughout its trip.”
Its first task will be to plant an Israeli flag on the surface and then take still pictures and video. It is expected that the “mission” will wrap up in a mere two days.
Established in 2010 by three Israeli engineers, the nonprofit organization started building the four-legged machine about two years later. They were attempting to win the $20 million Google Lunar X competition for a non-government to land an unmanned spacecraft on the moon, take pictures and video, and travel 500 meters on, above or below the surface. In the event, they reached the finals, but at the end there was no winner as none had met the requirements and deadline in time – but they decided to “go for it” anyway.
Full story click here
By: Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News
The SpaceIL organization announced Tuesday that it will be sending a small, unmanned spacecraft to the moon in December, with an expected landing date of February 13, 2019.
It will be launched on a SpaceX missile from Cape Canaveral, Florida, which will release its history-making cargo 60,000 kilometers from the moon. The spaceship will go around the Earth in an ever-widening, elliptical orbit that will eventually enable it to cross paths with the moon.
At that point, it is supposed to fire its engines in order to slow down and get into a lunar orbit, eventually landing gently on the rocky surface.
“It’s a small, smart spaceship,” said SpaceIL CEO Dr. Ido Anteby. “It’s a meter and a half by two meters, and will weigh 600 kg. at takeoff. Most of its weight is fuel, and when it lands it will [only] weigh 180 kg. It will be in contact with ground stations all over the world; we’ll be in radio contact with it throughout its trip.”
Its first task will be to plant an Israeli flag on the surface and then take still pictures and video. It is expected that the “mission” will wrap up in a mere two days.
Established in 2010 by three Israeli engineers, the nonprofit organization started building the four-legged machine about two years later. They were attempting to win the $20 million Google Lunar X competition for a non-government to land an unmanned spacecraft on the moon, take pictures and video, and travel 500 meters on, above or below the surface. In the event, they reached the finals, but at the end there was no winner as none had met the requirements and deadline in time – but they decided to “go for it” anyway.
Full story click here
