Nasa and Israel working together to send SPIDER-LIKE spacecraft to the MOON by 2019
NASA and the Israeli Space Agency (ISA) will work together for the Israeli non-profit SpaceIL’s commercial mission to send spider-like spacecraft to the moon, and they are expected to land as soon as 2019.
SpaceIL spider-like craft will land on the moon SpaceIL spider-like craft will land on the moon
The US space agency has signed an agreement and will contribute a laser retroreflector to aid with ground tracking and Deep Space network support to aid in mission communication.
SpaceIL spider-like craft landing on the moon will mean Israel is one of only three nations so far to have achieved a controlled landing on the lunar surface.
The probe will be launched in December from Cape Canaveral aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said: “I’m thrilled to extend progress in commercial cooperation we’ve made in low-Earth orbit to the lunar environment with this new agreement with the Israel Space Agency and SpaceIL.
“Innovative partnerships like this are going to be essential as we go forward to the Moon and create new opportunities there.”
SpaceIL head Ido Anteby said in a statement: “We all hope our spacecraft is just the first part and there will be more space missions and technological challenges to come."
Science Minister Ofir Akunis said: “The cooperation between Israel and the US is growing stronger in all areas, as is the partnership between NASA and the Israel Space Agency.
“Israel is proud to be part of the renewed journey to the moon and to advance our technological capabilities everywhere.”
ISA and SpaceIL will share data with NASA from the SpaceIL lunar magnetometer installed in the aircraft.
The deal was signed in Germany during the 69th International Astronautical Congress.
The agreement comes three months after NASA head Jim Bridenstine visited Israel saying he was going to expand the agency’s relationship with the Jewish state.
The project started seven years ago as part of a Google technology contest to land a small probe on the moon.
It was conducted together with Israel Areospace
Spacecraft will carry out a Weizmann Institute of Science experiment to measure the moon’s magnetic field.
Israeli billionaire philanthropist and SpaceIL’s president, Morris Kahn, gave at least $27 million to the project.