Beresheet
Beresheet (Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית, Bərēšīṯ, "In the beginning"; Book of Genesis) was a demonstrator of a small robotic lunar lander and lunar probe operated by SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries. Its aims included inspiring youth and promoting careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and landing its magnetometer, time capsule, and laser retroreflector on the Moon. The lander's gyroscopes failed on 11 April 2019 causing the main engine to shut off, which resulted in the lander crashing on the Moon. Its final resting position is 32.5956°N, 19.3496°E.
Full size model of the Beresheet Moon lander | |||||||
| Names | Sparrow (2011–2018) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission type | Technology demonstration | ||||||
| Operator | Israel Aerospace Industries and SpaceIL | ||||||
| COSPAR ID | 2019-009B | ||||||
| SATCAT no. | 44049 | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
| Mission duration | 48 days, 17 hours, 38 minutes (achieved) | ||||||
| Spacecraft properties | |||||||
| Spacecraft | Beresheet | ||||||
| Spacecraft type | Lunar lander | ||||||
| Manufacturer | SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries | ||||||
| Launch mass | 585 kg | ||||||
| Dry mass | 150 kg (330 lb) | ||||||
| Dimensions | Diameter: 2 m (6 ft 7 in); Height: 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) | ||||||
| Start of mission | |||||||
| Launch date | 22 February 2019, 01:45 UTC | ||||||
| Rocket | Falcon 9 B5 | ||||||
| Launch site | CCAFS, SLC-40 | ||||||
| Contractor | SpaceX | ||||||
| End of mission | |||||||
| Disposal | Destroyed upon impact on the Moon surface | ||||||
| Destroyed | 11 April 2019, 19:23 UTC | ||||||
| Moon lander | |||||||
| Landing date | Lunar capture: 4 April 2019 Landing: 11 April 2019 (failure) | ||||||
| Landing site | Mare Serenitatis
32.5956°N 19.3496°E | ||||||
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Beresheet Series | |||||||
The lander was previously known as Sparrow and was officially renamed to Beresheet in December 2018. Its net mass was 150 kg (330 lb); when fueled at launch, its mass was 585 kg (1,290 lb). It had been compared to a washing machine, as it stood at about the height of one at 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) and was similar in width to large household appliances. It used seven ground stations for Earth–lander communication. Its mission control center was at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in Yehud, Israel.