Israeli Moon Lander Beresheet Crashes During Historic Touchdown Attempt
Israel's Beresheet spacecraft unfortunately crashes into the moon during its attempt to become the first privately funded mission to land softly on the lunar surface.
Israel's Beresheet spacecraft crashes into the moon during a historic touchdown attempt, falling just short of becoming the first privately funded mission to land softly on the lunar surface. Mission control loses communication with the robotic lander when it is about 489 feet above the gray dirt, prompting officials to declare a failure in the spacecraft.
Despite the sudden crash, the mission represents a tremendous achievement for the Israeli space program and the SpaceIL team. The spacecraft successfully reaches lunar orbit prior to the landing attempt, proving that a small, privately backed team can navigate a craft to the moon.
The list of moon-landing nations remains at three superpowers—the Soviet Union, the United States, and China—but Israeli leaders express immediate resolve to try again. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasizes a spirit of perseverance, noting that failure is simply a reason to attempt another mission in the future.