First Israeli lunar spacecraft set to land on moon Feb. 13, 2019, making Israel fourth country to do soYEHUD, Israel, July 10 – At a historic press conference today at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)’s MBT Space facility in Yehud, Israel, nonprofit SpaceIL and IAI announced a lunar mission to launch [/size]from Cape Canaveral, Fla.,[/size] this December[/size], and [/size]land [/size]on the moon on [/size]Feb. 13, 2019[/size]. A final launch date will be announced closer to the event.
YEHUD, Dec. 17/2018 – Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) presented today at IAI’s Space Division a time capsule that will travel to the moon — and remain there indefinitely — with the first Israeli spacecraft, which will launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in February, 2019[/size].
SpaceIL’s spacecraft will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida
I am delighted to see Israel attempt a landing on the Moon; a small nation making an achievement after the 3 largest for a change of pace.Not to make this political, but I have to admit I'm curious how Israel's neighbors will react if they succeed. Outside of obvious rivalry, the Moon is both a symbol (especially on flags) and definer of the calendar for the Muslim religion. If you read into Israel's time capsule payload, many of their items are very symbolic, and symbols carry even heavier weight in the Middle East than in the West. Even Israel's more benign neighbors might be slightly...irked. I don't expect a titanic impact on culture or an Apollo-esque movement, but I would see this as motivation for the likes of Iran and perhaps the UAE's budding space program.Otherwise, I am very curious what Israel will do with this mission outside of an impressive technology demonstration.
Not to make this political, but I have to admit I'm curious how Israel's neighbors will react if they succeed.
Delay day probability of violating launch weather constraints: 20% Primary concern(s): Thick Cloud Layer Rule, Cumulus Cloud Rule
Does anybody know how much this mission cost?
The mission, which now has a reported price tag of $95 million....
Moon Travel Report #1After the successful launch this morning Beresheet has traveled 69,400 km and is starting its way back to start its first orbit around Earth.#Israeltothemoon @ILAerospaceIAI @ILSpaceAgency
-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-Media contact: Zach Wallens, Puder PR, New York[email protected]WORLD’S FIRST PRIVATELY FUNDED LUNAR SPACECRAFT LAUNCHES SUCCESSFULLY ABOARD SPACEX ROCKETIsraeli moon lander Beresheet launched from Cape Canaveral on Thursday at 8:45 p.m. ETMission control room in Israel established communication with the spacecraft at 9:23 p.m. ETBeresheet's legs deployed, as planned, at 9:25 p.m. ETCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Feb. 22 – Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) today announced that Israel’s inaugural voyage to the moon – the world’s first privately funded lunar mission – launched successfully on Thursday, Feb. 21, at 8:45 pm. ET from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9.Once Beresheet ("in the beginning") completes its lunar mission, Israel would join superpowers China, Russia and the United States in landing a spacecraft on the moon.The spacecraft successfully disengaged from the SpaceX Falcon 9 at around 60,000 kilometers above Earth’s surface, beginning, under its own power, a two-month voyage to the Moon’s surface. Beresheet communicated for the first time with the mission’s control center in Yehud, Israel, at 9:23 p.m. ET, and the spacecraft's legs deployed two minutes later.As of Friday morning, the spacecraft was 69,400 km above Earth, and is starting its way back to begin its first orbit around Earth.In the meantime, the engineers at the SpaceIL and IAI control room have been conducting many in-orbit tests, and have identified high sensitivity to blinding by the sun’s rays in the star trackers, though this issue is being checked.On Sunday the spacecraft is expected to conduct its first maneuver around Earth.Morris Kahn, President of SpaceIL: "The successful launch positions Israel on the map. History has been made. We look forward to an amazing seven-week journey that will mark yet another historic event. We cross our fingers for Beresheet. Thank you to the amazing teams of SpaceIL and IAI. Israel is now on the space map.”Ido Anteby, CEO of SpaceIL: “We arrived at the launch with a fully tested spacecraft on its way for a highly challenging mission. I am proud of SpaceIL and IAI teams who made this accomplishment possible with professional work, perseverance and collaboration. In the next two months, Beresheet will continue its challenging journey until it lands on the moon.”Nimrod Sheffer, CEO, Israel Aerospace Industries: "This Friday morning (Israel time), SpaceIL and IAI, the partners in the Beresheet project, announced the successful launch of the spacecraft. Initial data was received in the control room in Yehud, the spacecraft’s legs deployed as planned and Beresheet started in-orbit tests while cruising to the moon. After all sub-systems are tested, Beresheet will start its first maneuver and begin circling the Earth within nine hours."
GREAT headline from Eric Berger: "A lunar lander launches from Florida for the first time since Apollo 17"https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/02/a-lunar-lander-launches-from-florida-for-the-first-time-since-apollo-17/
What would have seemed crazy in 1972 seems increasingly like the norm today: a private mission to the Moon launched on a reusable rocket.
Quote from: Blackstar on 02/20/2019 07:35 pmDoes anybody know how much this mission cost?It in the Planetary Society article linked above:QuoteThe mission, which now has a reported price tag of $95 million....edit: That number references a article in the Times of Israel.
http://www.spaceil.com/mission/Can someone skilled in orbital mechanics explain why the orbit raising burns are split up as many as they are?Maybe I'll answer my own question. I know that the Oberth effect means burns at perigee are most efficient, and the higher the speed the better.So if they did the full burn on one orbit, they only get to use the initial speed. If they split into two burns, the second burn gets the benefit of the speed boost of the 1st burn, correct? So it's a trade off between fuel efficiency and mission duration (number of orbits)?