Israel's moonshot completes first maneuver

IAI Space Center Photo: IAI
IAI Space Center Photo: IAI

The star trackers used to navigate the Beresheet spacecraft have been sucessfully adjusted.

Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) (TASE: ARSP.B1) today announced that the Beresheet spacecraft launched towards the moon on Friday had successfully performed its first maneuver.

IAI and SpaceIL said that the maneuver was carried out according to constraints detected by the star trackers used to navigate the spacecraft on its way to the moon, shortly after launching.

In the course of the maneuver, the spaceship's main engine was operated for the first time and IAI said that the operation was a success. The 30-second maneuver took place almost 70,000 kilometers from the earth and a further maneuver is scheduled for Monday night.

Beresheet was launched Thursday night with the Falcon 9 missile made by billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX. The spacecraft, which was launched from Cape Canaveral, is scheduled to reach the moon on April 11.

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on February 24, 2019

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

IAI Space Center Photo: IAI
IAI Space Center Photo: IAI
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