On July 10, 2018, the organizers held a press conference before the planned launch of the first Israeli lunar spacecraft
On July 10, an Israeli organization announced plans to launch the country's first spacecraft. Start is scheduled for December of this year. Participants hope that this mission will improve Israel’s reputation as a small nation with high-tech ambitions.
An unmanned spacecraft weighs approximately 585 kg and should land on the moon on February 13, 2019. To launch using the rocket of the American entrepreneur Ilona Mask SpaceX. The mission will include the study of the magnetic field of the moon. The organizers also reported that the first task is to mount the Israeli flag on an earth satellite. The project began as part of Google Lunar XPrize, offering prizes of $ 30 million to motivate scientists and entrepreneurs to create low-cost lunar flights.
The Israeli team SpaceIL decided to participate and joined the state of the Israeli aerospace industry. The Google Award expired in March without ever finding a winner. But the Israeli team continues its idea. A private initiative should cost about $ 95 million.
