Israel to Launch its First Mission to the Moon

Israel to Launch its First Mission to the Moon
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SpaceIL announced it will launch a spacecraft that will land on the moon in the early part of 2019.

By: United with Israel Staff

SpaceIL, an Israeli NGO, announced Tuesday it will be launching a spacecraft toward the moon at the end of 2018.

The spacecraft is set to be launched using Elon Musk’s private aerospace company SpaceX, with a scheduled landing date on the moon of February 13, 2019.

The spacecraft, which will be the smallest ever to land on the moon, is expected to land roughly two months after leaving earth, making Israel the fourth country in history to land a spacecraft on the moon, following Russia, the US and China.

SpaceIL is an Israeli nonprofit founded by three young engineers at the end of 2010, answering the Google Lunar XPRIZE challenge.

SpaceIL is aiming to make history and land the first Israeli spacecraft on the Moon and to inspire a generation along the way.

The group sees SpaceIL and space exploration as the next frontiers.

SpaceIL’s success will be a source of pride for Israel while introducing the world to new and innovative ways to explore outer space.

In addition, the space industry has the potential to become a major growth engine for the Israeli economy.

Leveraging Israeli expertise in micro-satellite technologies, SpaceIL is building a small, smart and a relatively cheap spacecraft.

The team is applying know-how garnered from defense-related initiatives, repurposed for space exploration.

The SpaceIL spacecraft is about the size of a dishwasher.

TPS contributed to this report.