Private-sector moon mission a first, and for Israel too

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).