Tuesday / 13 July 2021

SpaceIL Redoubling Efforts Toward Private Lunar Landing NET 2024

Israel nonprofit prepares for Beresheet-2, an ambitious 3-craft mission; 2 landers (120kg wet) are to study Moon from Near and Far Sides, while “Mothership” will remain in orbit for nominal 2-year duration to facilitate science and student communication; US$70M of estimated total $100M cost being provided by philanthropists Patrick Drahi, Morris Kahn, Martin Moshal; SpaceIL now led by Shimon Sarid, formerly of IAF, and will again partner with state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries, Space Agency and Ministry of Science & Technology

 

Credits: SpaceIL

Friday / 11 Dec 2020

SpaceIL Of Israel Sets Sights On 2024 Attempt At Moon Landings And Orbiter

Independent Organization SpaceIL, In Partnership With Israel Aerospace Industries And Israeli Space Agency, Plans Beresheet 2 Augmented Repeat Of 2019 Moon Landing Attempt – The Most Successful NGO Effort To Date, Winning US$1M Google Lunar X Prize Moonshot Award; New Mission To Occur First Half Of 2024, Will Include Orbiter With 2+ Year Lifespan And 2 Science Landers Weighing 118kg/ea; Expected ~$100M Cost; ISA Leader Izhar Shay Tells Times Of Israel That UAE, Which Plans 2024 Lunar Rover Rashid, Is Among “Seven Countries From Five Continents” Who Have Expressed Interest In Collaboration

 

Credits: SpaceIL, IAI, ISA

Friday / 17 May 2019

Luna Firma Update From Chang’e-4, Beresheet, Future Chandrayaan-2

Zhongguo Chang’e-4 Is In Sleep Mode For Fifth Lunar Night; Yutu-2 Rover May Confirm First Signs Of Moon’s Hidden Mantle In South Pole-Aitken Basin; NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Finds Beresheet Crash Site, Will Search For Signs Of Laser Retroreflector; SpaceIL To Build Beresheet-2 With Private Funding And Technical Help From NASA; India Chandrayaan-2 Scheduled For Launch To South Polar Region NET 9 Jul, Will Carry Another NASA-Built Retroreflector For Measuring Earth-Moon Distance

Credits: NASA, ISRO, CNSA

Wednesday / 24 Apr 2019

SpaceIL Helps Validate Lunar Cycler Concept

Lunar Impact Opens Door For Future Missions; SpaceIL Vows To Attempt Soft Landing With Beresheet 2.0; International Independent Enterprises Like Astrobotic, Moon Express, PTScientists, Team Indus, Team Hakuto, As Well As SpaceX, Blue Origin, And Others All Aim For Moon; SpaceNews Writer Edward Hudgins Notes That Beresheet Validates Cycler Concept Pioneered And Advocated By Buzz Aldrin; Cycler Spacecraft Could Reach Moon In Elongated Earth Orbits For Less Fuel Cost Than Conventional Paths

Credits: NASA, Heartland Institute

Friday / 12 Apr 2019

SpaceIL Attempt Leaves Way Open For 1st Commercial Lunar Landing

SpaceIL Beresheet Makes Impact 11 Apr, Meaning That First Privately Developed Soft Landing Is Yet To Reach Goal; SpaceX Falcon Heavy, Which Is Scheduled To Launch Arabsat-6A From Kennedy Space Center On Same Day, Being Considered By NASA For Launching Orion Spacecraft To Moon; United Arab Emirates Space Agency, Which Has Formal Cooperation Agreement With NASA And Is Sending First UAE Astronaut To ISS In 2019, Forms Arab Space Coordination Group With 10 Crescent Moon Countries, Joining Israel In Reaching For Landings

Credits: SpaceIL, SpaceX, UAE National Press

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 5-8 Apr 2019

Major Spacefaring Powers Joined By Other Nations Reaching For Moon

Canada Launches US$150M Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP) As USA Seeks Partners For Lunar Gateway; JAXA Investigates Using Robotics To Build Lunar Base; Germany PTScientists Rover May Launch In 2020; Russia Hopes To Develop Heavy Launcher For Moon Landings; Drop Test Delays India Chandrayaan-2 Until May; Zhongguo Chang’e-4 Operates During Its Fourth Lunar Day; Korea KSLV-II Booster Planned For 2021 Launch Of Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter; SpaceIL Beresheet In Orbit Photographs Hidden Side Of Moon

Credits: SpaceIL, ISRO, PTScientists, CNSA

Wednesday / 27 Mar 2019

USA Sending Retroreflectors On International Lunar Missions 

 NASA Laser Retroreflectors Are On Two Upcoming Lunar Landings, Israel Beresheet (L) Scheduled For 11 April And India Chandrayaan-2 (R) Launching Apr; Unpowered Laser Reflectors Will Be Useful For Lunar Navigation, Measuring The Moon’s Changing Distance From Earth And Fundamental Physics; Retroreflectors Left By 3 Apollo And 2 Russia Luna Landings Still Returning Science; Apollo Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment Reports The 384,402-km Earth-Moon Distance Increasing By 3.82 cm/yr, An Anomalously High Figure That May Indicate The Speed Of Light Changing

Credits: NASA, SpaceIL, ISRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 22-25 Mar 2019

2019 Moon Landers: Operational, Projected

Chang’e-3 Lander Station Collecting Science Data With LUT On Lunar Near Side; Chang’e-4 Operating At Statio Tianhe (Milky Way Base) On Far Side; SpaceIL / IAI Beresheet Lander Is On Track To Enter Lunar Orbit 4 April, Attempt Soft Landing At 33° N, 17° E On 11 April; India Chandrayaan-2 Vikram Lander Likely Launching End Of April To 70°S, Between Craters Manzinus C & Simpelius N; PTScientists Lander Could Launch On Falcon 9 In Second Half Of 2019; Wu Weiren, China Lunar Exploration Program Chief Designer, Confirms Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission To Launch Dec 2019 To Mons Rümker Region 40.8° N, 58.1° W

Credits: SpaceIL, IAI, CNSA, CCTV, ISRO, PTScientists

Friday / 22 Mar 2019

Multiple Moon March Activities Planned By Commercial Industry And Nations Including USA

Current Lunar Activities Include SpaceIL Beresheet On Course To Vicinity Of Moon By 4 April And Planned Landing 11 Apr; 6-Person International Crew Of SIRIUS-19 In Moscow Simulating 122-Day Lunar Mission; Astrobotic Uses LIDAR-Equipped Drone To Map Iceland Lava Tube In Preparation For Lunar Applications; Japan, Canada And Lockheed Martin Plan Modules For Moon Orbit; US National Space Council Meets 26 Mar As NASA Plans Lunar Rover In 2023; Administrator Jim Bridenstine Says Next Human Landings Will Include First Woman On The Moon

Credits: SpaceIL, NASA, Astrobotic, DLR

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 Mar 2019

SpaceIL Beresheet Makes Successful Orbit Change, On Course For Mare Serenitatis

SpaceIL Beresheet, First Privately-Funded Lunar Lander, Completes Orbital Maneuver; Previous Attempt On 25 February Unsuccessful Due To Unexpected Computer Reset; Apogee Raised From 69,400 To 131,000 km; Beresheet Also Deals With Malfunction In Star Tracker, Will Attempt Landing 11 Apr; Mare Serenitatis Landing Site Is At Aprroximately 33° N, 17° E Between Sites Of Apollo 15 And 17; Beresheet Expected To Operate 2-3 Days On Moon; 585-kg Lander Contains 30 Million Page Time Capsule To Remain On Lunar Surface

Credits: SpaceIL, Flash90