''Beresheet '' 2 is a planned
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
space mission
Spaceflight (or space flight) is an application of astronautics to fly spacecraft into or through outer space, either with or without humans on board. Most spaceflight is uncrewed and conducted mainly with spacecraft such as satellites in or ...
intended to land two
spacecraft
A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, p ...
on the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
in 2025. As the spacecraft reaches
the Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the List of natural satellites, fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth ( ...
, it will split into three: the mothership (orbiter) and two landers that will be released for landing at different locations on the Moon. The orbiter will continue to orbit the Moon on a long-term multi-year mission. This will be the first-ever dual lander deployment mission, with the smallest landers to ever soft-land on the Moon.
The Beresheet2 Orbiter will give many students worldwide the opportunity to learn the basics of space engineering and participate in deep-space science. Through its innovative design, Beresheet2 Orbiter will serve as the first-ever – worldwide interactive space education system.
The project will include multiple educational activities for all ages and an outreach program that will connect and push these messages to the public in the partnering countries.
History
The mission was announced by the
SpaceIL
SpaceIL is an Israeli organization, established in 2011, that competed in the Google Lunar X Prize (GLXP) contest to land a spacecraft on the Moon.
SpaceIL successfully launched its '' Beresheet'' lander on 22 February 2019 at 01:45 UTC; it en ...
voluntary association
A voluntary group or union (also sometimes called a voluntary organization, common-interest association, association, or society) is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement, usually as volunteering, volunteers, to form a body (or organ ...
, shortly after the conclusion of the first ''
Beresheet
''Beresheet'' ( he, בְּרֵאשִׁית, ''Bərēšīṯ'', "In the beginning"; Book of Genesis) was a demonstrator of a small robotic lunar lander and lunar probe operated by SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries. Its aims included insp ...
'' mission in April 2019. It was announced on 26 June 2019, that the mission will not target the Moon, and instead it will be to another undisclosed object. On 25 November 2019, it was simultaneously announced that the Moon would indeed be the target of ''Beresheet 2'', and that SpaceIL plans to send another lander to Mars.
On 16 January 2020, SpaceIL announced that they have officially started to work on ''Beresheet 2'' as they were given the first million-dollar funding for the spacecraft. On 5 February 2020, Shimon Sarid was appointed as CEO of SpaceIL. In this role Sarid will lead the ''Beresheet 2'' project.
SpaceIL announces new CEO Shimon Sarid to lead Beresheet 2 project
Zachary Keyser, ''The Jerusalem Post'' 5 February 2020 In July 2020, engineer Yoav Heichal, former chief engineer of Better Place Ltd, has joined the program as a structural engineer. The program was officially launched by Israel's former president, Reuven Rivlin
Reuven "Ruvi" Rivlin ( he, רְאוּבֵן "רוּבִי" רִיבְלִין ; born 9 September 1939) is an Israeli politician and lawyer who served as the tenth president of Israel between 2014 and 2021. He is a member of the Likud party. Riv ...
, on Dec 9th, 2020 and announced that the ''Beresheet 2'' Moon mission would launch in 2024, consisting of an orbiter and two landers. SpacelL is leading the program with the support of the Israel Space Agency.
It will have a budget of US$100 million, similar to that of ''Beresheet 1'', and will include more international collaboration, with the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
as one of seven countries expressing interest.
In July 2021, the Beresheet 2 program raised 70 million dollars from a group of entrepreneur-philanthropists, Patrick & Lina Drahi family foundation, Morris Kahn and the Moshal Space Foundation.
At World Space Week
, website = https://indiaspaceweek.org
World Space Week (WSW) is an annual holiday observed from October 4 to 10 in over 95 nations throughout the world. World Space Week is officially defined as "an international celebration of science and tech ...
in Dubai, in October 2021, Israel and the UAE ministers of science and technology announced plans for cooperation on the mission. Said Kahn to the Global Investment Forum in Dubai, "It would be wonderful if we could develop a space program that would be a combination of Israel and the Arab world, "I would welcome it – if it fits in with the program the Emirates have. They have an ambitious program".
References
{{Israeli space program
Future spaceflights
2025 in spaceflight
Missions to the Moon
Landers (spacecraft)
Space program of Israel