Israel's first lunar mission put spacecraft Beresheet into orbit in 2019. Here's what happened next

Beresheet was Israel’s first mission to the Moon and a project led by the private company SpaceIL with support from the Israeli Space Agency. The spacecraft was designed to land on the lunar surface in April 2019. It launched from Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 22, 2019. The spacecraft used a series of expanding orbits around Earth to save fuel. It later entered lunar orbit and prepared for landing. It lost contact during its descent on April 11, 2019.

Beresheet reached lunar orbit before the landing attempt

The mission was designed as a lunar landing mission. Beresheet was also the first attempt by a private company to land a spacecraft on the Moon. The name Beresheet means “In the Beginning” in Hebrew. The spacecraft was developed and managed by SpaceIL, a private company, together with the Israeli Space Agency.


The mission had two main scientific instruments:

• A magnetometer to measure the Moon’s magnetic field.
• A laser retroreflector supplied by NASA to test its potential as a navigation tool.

The spacecraft was around 585 kilograms in weight. It was about 5 feet, or 1 meter, tall and about 7.5 feet, or 2.3 meters, wide when its landing gear and legs were deployed. On February 22, 2019, Beresheet was launched into space aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Instead of travelling directly to the moon, the spacecraft gradually expanded its elliptical orbit around Earth to use gravitational forces to help propel itself farther from Earth and save fuel. It was eventually captured into lunar orbit and later, attempted to descent to the surface of the moon.

The planned landing site was the Sea of Serenity

The planned landing area was an ancient volcanic region known as the Sea of Serenity, or Mare Serenitatis in Latin. Apollo 17 astronauts landed near this region on December 11, 1972.

The SpaceIL team expected the spacecraft to touch down on the lunar surface. Shortly before the expected touchdown, the contact with Beresheet was lost. The loss of contact meant that the spacecraft did not complete its planned landing mission. The event ended Israel’s first attempt to place a spacecraft on the Moon.

What happened at the landing site?

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter later provided images that helped researchers examine the area where the spacecraft was believed to have come down. The feature appeared as a dark “smudge” on Mare Serenitatis.

The mark was elongated toward the south. Images indicated that the spacecraft appeared to have approached from the north and landed near the rim of a small crater that was only a few meters wide.

The spacecraft was therefore not recovered as an intact lander on the lunar surface. However, its journey had already taken it through several major stages, including launch, Earth-orbit operations and lunar orbit.

NASA also had an instrument on the spacecraft

NASA had installed a small laser retroreflector on Beresheet. A retroreflector is designed to reflect laser light back toward its source. Such equipment can be used to support measurements and navigation work.

NASA was testing the potential use of the instrument as a navigation tool. Although the spacecraft did not complete its landing, the instrument was part of a broader effort to study ways in which navigation systems could support future lunar missions.

NASA called the mission an accomplishment

He said NASA regretted that the SpaceIL mission had ended without a successful lunar landing. He also congratulated SpaceIL, Israel Aerospace Industries and the state of Israel for sending the first privately funded mission into lunar orbit.

He also expressed confidence that Israel and SpaceIL would continue their exploration efforts. Beresheet did not land successfully, but it did reach lunar orbit and demonstrated that a private team could send a spacecraft on a mission to the Moon.

What was the final outcome of the Beresheet mission?

Its spacecraft launched successfully and completed the journey from Earth toward the Moon. It expanded its orbit around Earth, used gravitational forces during its journey and eventually entered lunar orbit. The final stage was the landing attempt.

On April 11, 2019, Beresheet began its descent toward the Sea of Serenity. The team lost contact shortly before the expected touchdown. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter images showed a surface feature at the suspected landing area.

The mission was therefore not a complete success in terms of its original landing objective. However, it achieved lunar orbit and became a milestone in Israel’s space program and private lunar exploration.

Why Beresheet remains important?

The mission showed how a private organization could develop and send a spacecraft toward the Moon. Reaching lunar orbit and landing on the lunar surface require different stages of navigation, control and spacecraft operation.

Beresheet completed the journey to lunar orbit but could not complete the final descent. The mission also continued a project that began with the Lunar X Prize. Even after the competition ended without a winner, SpaceIL continued its work. For private spaceflight, it represented an attempt to expand participation in Moon missions beyond government space agencies.