Israel on the moon: he Who has not yet, who wants again?

February 22, 2019

Contents page 1 — Who has not yet, who wants again? Page 2 — Private companies to make flights into space is more profitable On a page

The next moon landing to read. In the night to Friday, starting at about three o’clock in the morning German time, for the first time to fly an Israeli spacecraft to the moon. Aboard a Falcon rocket from Elon Musks company SpaceX, the unmanned lander, called Beresheet to start – translated Genesis in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Packed with hard drives full of humanity you will be traveling know within two and a half months to the moon, land there, as well as collect data to the magnetic field. And, of particular importance: symbol of hoisting the Israeli flag on the moon. So that’s the Plan.

What can less technical progress than We—also bears witness, also shows clearly that The space sector has changed, a new space age has begun.

The private company SpaceIL makes no secret of the fact that their moon mission, the emotions and the Nation is intended to impress: “The success of SpaceIL is a source of national pride,” it says in a promotional video with the sound of a ecstatic clapping crowd of people. We work to create an Israeli “Apollo effect,” reads the Website. The following generations will be inspired to science and technology, as once so many young Americans in the sixties to the glory days of Nasa’s moon programme.

editor Alina harmful angle reported for TIME, ONLINE space-and is still waiting for the first press trip. In the meantime, they had thought to apply to themselves as an astronaut.

to the author page, Big words, small project

Only the Israeli company will bring not a man on the moon the US space Agency Nasa 50 years earlier, but just around 160 kilograms heavy metal of 1.20 meters, the setting up, at best, a sign of life and for two to three days a couple of data to the magnetic field will collect the box with a height of 1.80 meters. Attaching the lander to ball in the lunar sea Mare Serenitatis on the Northern half. The Region is for magnetic anomalies, in Beresheet more to find out. The Mission will bring together the global space Guild neither scientifically nor technologically far ahead. Big words from the creators of such a small project.

The Mission is still not to be underestimated. It shows once more that interest in the moon and space travel in the Depths of space to grow – and it takes no longer alone, government programs and the billions of large space-faring Nations, to conquer him. Because there are private companies that have led the mankind into the New-Space Era. SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, Boeing, and Blue Origin count in this regard to the well-known name. With your country, device SpaceIL with mixed in among them now a bit.

The company was founded in the year 2011 after Google had to call the Lunar XPrize. The SpaceIL founders wanted to land the first private spacecraft under Israel’s flag on the moon, 500 meters to go and record HD-Video as well as send them to earth. With Beresheet you couldn’t make it after all, among the five finalists, however, in time to the moon. In fact, no Team has won the success premium of 30 million US dollars and the fame. The competition ended after repeated extension of the deadline in March 2018 without an official winner. The work of SpaceIL not ended, however.

a Total of eight years, planned, rejected, built, now, a Start is imminent. “We are all very excited and proud,” says Dafna Jackson, CEO of the Kahn Foundation, which belongs to one of the SpaceIL founder. You have yet to go is always a difficult, complicated way to the moon, “but to have this Moment reached, is undoubtedly a milestone”. Will not drive the device, by the way, even after landing bounce, the way it was planned. Some may criticize that there is with the Lander. “But,” Jackson speaks: The land system did not exist previously and was therefore quite an achievement.

“The Israelis are a Team that we have watched closely, because they were advanced technologically so far,” says the engineer Karsten Becker of the Problem, want to send a Rover with SpaceIL to the Google price had competes. It was particularly difficult to build a relatively small device that is intended to meet only a few functions. Also had long been discussed, with how little mass you can get to the moon. Israel’s Lander was, therefore, exciting. However, you should not forget: “Generally speaking, there is an art to get something there,” says Becker. Three Nations – the USA, the Soviet Union and China succeeded so far (see box below). Soon, Israel is one of maybe. The Problem wish the best of luck.

scientific Benefits of the Mission was small, “it is a pure technology demonstration,” says Becker. But: “What emerged from the price, are companies that work on specific missions, and as a service offer.”