The Excitement Behind Israel's First Moon Mission

The Excitement Behind Israel's First Moon Mission

NEWS DESK | Israel's first mission to the moon is clearing the way to lift-off, and its founders have a message to send to the stars — a time capsule laden with Israeli pictures and music as an inspiration to future generations. What has motivated these scientists for nearly seven years? Ariel Levin-Waldman has the story.

Story:
The Israeli organization behind the country's first mission to the moon on announced the vessel's launch for early 2019.

The craft was originally set to reach the moon on February 13, 2019, where its mission would include research on the moon's magnetic field and planting an Israeli flag.

SpaceIL did not give precise dates for the postponed launch and landing, but it is meant to be transferred to the United States for launching via a rocket from American entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX firm. The ambitious project began as part of the Google Lunar XPrize, which in 2010 offered $30 million (25 million euros) in awards to encourage scientists and entrepreneurs to come up with relatively low-cost moon missions.

Although the Google prize expired in March without a winner having reached the moon, Israel's team pledged to push forward.

The vessel will transmit data to the control center at the Israel Aerospace Industries for two days before its systems shut down.

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