Graphic of the Beresheet spacecraft (Courtesy SpaceIL) The Israeli spacecraft Genesis is finally reaching its final destination to the moon.
The lunar lander, Beresheet (Genesis in Hebrew) was built by Israeli startup organization, SpaceIL and has successfully completed every checklist involved since launching from Cape Canaveral in Florida back in February 2019.
Now it will begin to land at 12:05 p.m. PT.
Track when the moon will land in your time zone here. Follow along on the Beresheet English Facebook page or YouTube channel.
The four-legged spacecraft is expected to land in the Sea of Serenity (Mare Serenitatis) after 47 days and 6.5 million kilometers of flight. Once landing it Israel will become the fourth country to land a spaceship on the moon.
According to the Times of Israel, engineers activated Beresheet’s engines on Wednesday night for a final maneuver.
Israel Airports Authority showed their support for the spacecraft by listing the Beresheet moon landing on its arrival timetable.
NASA tweeted April 11: “Today, for the 1st time, a private robotic spacecraft attempts a Moon landing! @TeamSpaceIL‘s #Beresheet carries one of our science instruments — an example of how we’ll work with partners to pave the way to returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024.”
Today, for the 1st time, a private robotic spacecraft attempts a Moon landing! @TeamSpaceIL's #Beresheet carries one of our science instruments — an example of how we'll work with partners to pave the way to returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024. More: https://t.co/A8XomJ57nV pic.twitter.com/QpH3SJhqWF
— NASA (@NASA) April 11, 2019
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