A rocket took off from Cape Canaveral yesterday carrying Israel’s Beresheet spacecraft, aiming to make history twice: as the first private-sector landing on the moon and the first from the Jewish state.
The 585kg Beresheet, which means “Genesis” in Hebrew, lifted off at 8.45pm on Thursday (12.45pm AEDT yesterday) atop a Falcon 9 rocket from the private US-based SpaceX company of entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Take-off was followed live in Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu watching alongside engineers from the Israeli Aerospace Industries control centre.
The Israeli craft was placed in Earth’s orbit, from where it will use its own engine to undertake a seven-week trip to reach the moon and touch down on April 11.
The rocket also contains an Indonesian satellite and a satellite of the US Air Force Research Laboratory.
The unmanned mission is part of renewed global interest in the moon and comes just months before the 50th anniversary in July of American astronauts first walking on the lunar surface.
“This is history in the making — and it’s live! Israel is aiming for the #moon and you’re all invited to watch,” said a Twitter message from SpaceIL, the non-profit organisation that designed the Israeli craft. It was backed by businessman and philanthropist Morris Kahn, who financed the development of the craft. “Make us proud,” he said yesterday.
Read the article in The Australian (AFP).