Morris Kahn vows second Israeli moonshot

Morris Kahn  photo: Eyal Izhar
Morris Kahn photo: Eyal Izhar

"From today, we're working on Beresheet 2," Kahn said yesterday.

"From today, we're working on Beresheet 2," SpaceIL Chairman Morris Kahn said on Channel 12's "Meet the Press" program yesterday evening.

"A moment after a divisive election campaign, Israelis united, the winners and the losers, in the hope that the Beresheet spacecraft would land safely on the Moon. It wasn't a soft landing, but we had a selfie with the Israeli flag there, good reason for pride," program host Rina Mazliah said, "but perhaps there's hope for the future."

Kahn said he did not have an empty feeling, but rather very god and positive feelings. "I felt warmth and backing, I felt something wonderful and encouraging" he said.

In a statement released by SpaceIL, Kahn said he intended to lead the second Israeli space project to achieve a lunar landing. "This is part of my message to the younger generation: Even if you do not succeed, you get up again and try." Kahn said he planned to form a new group of donors to support Beresheet 2. He has appointed a new Beresheet 2 team and will lead the project, which will begin immediately.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), which worked together with non-profit organization SpaceIL on the Beresheet project, said in a statement commenting on Kahn's declaration, "IAI is a national center of know-how in space and satellites, and is the State of Israel's space house. We are proud of our contribution to Beresheet's achievement in space, reaching the threshold of the Moon. We would be glad to be part of further space missions in collaboration with SpaceIL, under the leadership of Mr. Morris Kahn."

On Thursday evening, moments after it became clear that Beresheet had crashed on the Moon after a 49 day voyage, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that within two-three years, Israel would reach the Moon.

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on April 14, 2019

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2019

Morris Kahn  photo: Eyal Izhar
Morris Kahn photo: Eyal Izhar
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