The historic mission to the moon is nearing its end. In February, we wrote about the plans of the Israeli non-profit organization SpaceIL to reach the Earth's satellite and land a space probe on its surface. On Friday, the Israeli-built Beresheet lander entered Earth's natural satellite orbit and is preparing to land on its surface. If successful, it will become the first private spacecraft to land on the Moon, and make Israel the fourth country to do so after the US, the Soviet Union and China.
In Hebrew, "Beresheet" literally means "In the beginning." The device was launched in February from Cape Canaveral on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Already at that time, it became the first private mission to the Moon, launched from Earth and reached outer space. Originally built for the Google Lunar XPrize contest (which ended without a winner), the spacecraft is the lightest ever sent to the Moon, weighing just 1322 pounds (600 kg).
Once it lands, Beresheet will take a series of photographs, film video, collect data with a magnetometer to study changes in the Moon's magnetic field in the past, and install a small laser retroreflector that can be used as a navigational tool for future missions. Not without a sentimental touch, as the ship will bring to the surface a digital "time capsule", the Israeli flag, a monument to the victims of the Holocaust and Israel's declaration of independence.
If all goes according to plan, the spacecraft will land on the moon's ancient volcanic field known as the Sea of ββClarity on April 11.
The video below shows how Beresheet entered lunar orbit.
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Source: 3dnews.ru