Israel’s Beresheet completes second successful maneuver ahead of moon landing
The Israeli Beresheet (Genesis) spacecraft is circling the moon and completed its second successful maneuver around the Moon on Monday morning.
Beresheet via SpaceIL on 8 April, 2019
It is now in an elliptical orbit at an altitude of 211 km to 467 km from the surface of the Moon.
It completed its first successful maneuver early Sunday morning when Beresheet’s engine operated for 271 seconds and burned 55 kg fuel while reducing the Apolune from 10,400 km to 750 km from the moon.
Beresheet entered the lunar orbit on Thursday and is scheduled to land on the moon at about 11 p.m. Israel time.
If the mission is successful, the 160-kilogram unmanned four-legged spacecraft will be the smallest and cheapest spacecraft to land on the moon, and will make Israel the fourth country, after three major powers, the US, Russia and China, to land a craft on the moon.
The spacecraft is carrying a time capsule which consists of three discs, each containing hundreds of digital files, including Israeli national symbols like Israel’s Declaration of Independence, the Bible, Israel’s national anthem “Hatikvah” and the Israeli flag.
Fantastic achievement so far. Looking forward to safe landing on the moon as planned. Am Yisrael Chai.