Israeli organization secures millions for moon mission
Small country, big dream is the inscription on Beresheet 1. It burst on the surface of the moon. (Image: SpaceIL)
SpaceIL will use 70 million dollars to drop two landers on the moon. The first attempt by the non-profit organization from Israel had failed.
The new mission of the non-profit organization SpaceIL wants to break several records. Of the approximately $ 100 million total costs, the company just caught up with 70 million from philanthropists and investors. Beresheet 2 is scheduled to take off in 2024 and bring two mini-vehicles to the moon. The mother ship then circles the earth’s satellite for five years – at least that’s the planreports Bloomberg.
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Landing on the “other” side of the moon
SpaceIL says the funding increases the likelihood of meeting this schedule. The organization plans to be the first space mission ever to carry out two landings in a single mission. The smallest lunar landers that ever existed are used. One of the landing vehicles weighing only 60 grams (120 grams including fuel) is to land on the far side – a project that so far only China has achieved with the Chang’e-4 probe. The other landing point is still undetermined. The associated mother ship serves as a transmission station for the small vehicles. In addition, it should be available as a platform for scientific educational activities to enable students to research in space. At the moment, students are allowed to propose experiments that Beresheet 2 should carry out on the moon. The aim of the program is to act as an inspiration for the next generation to embark on a career as a scientist: in or engineer: in.
SpaceIL: First probe crashed
SpaceIL didn’t have much luck with Beresheet 1. The organization became the first private company to reach the moon in 2019. It positioned Israel as the seventh country to visit the earth’s satellite. When attempting to land on the surface, however, the main engines failed and the probe slammed unchecked into the lunar sand. The financiers, however, are not giving up, for the most part the families and equity companies have already financially supported the first mission.
SpaceIL emerged from Google competition
Originally, SpaceIL started as Israel’s contribution to LunarX. The search engine market leader had announced the competition for NGOs that wanted to land on the moon. Google finished the project with no winners in 2018. The Israeli participant chose to continue the effort privately. At the same time as the new financing round, some of the supporters took over the management of SpaceIL. At the top is now Morris Kahn, a billionaire who got rich through software and telecommunications services. Kahn said that was his life’s work. “As an entrepreneur, I believe that you should constantly look for new challenges and even double the risk,” Kahn said literally.
