Beresheet Nears the Moon

Israeli Spacecraft Beresheet Nears the Moon

  • 4/1/2019
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    (Communicated by SpaceIL)
     
    Today (Monday, 1 April 2019) at 09:00, Beresheet successfully completed another maneuver aimed at achieving precise synchronization of its encounter with the moon. The engineering team of SpaceIL  and IAI has performed the maneuver, which started and ran the spacecraft’s engines for 72 seconds. The teams are assessing the results of the maneuver to determine if another alignment maneuver will be required before Lunar Capture is performed.
     
    This coming Thursday, the spacecraft will reach the moon orbit and perform Lunar Capture, a complex maneuver aimed at entering the moon gravity and start circulating it towards its planned landing.
     
    In addition, yesterday around noon, Beresheet passed close to Earth for the last time at about 1,700 km away. The engineering team succeeded in taking a rare photograph of Earth from a distance of approximately 16,000 KM.
     
    SpaceIL and IAI are now preparing for the Lunar Capture maneuver by practicing various scenarios, simulations and in-depth tests in the hybrid lab.