SpaceIL lunar lander mission - 2019 Options

[Phil Stooke]

I'm setting this up in preparation for the launch of SpaceIL's lunar mission, probably early next year. They have arranged a rideshare with Spaceflight Industries on a Falcon 9 launch early in 2019. Earlier they were saying launch in December, land on the Moon in February, so now I assume the landing might be delayed until March. This mission was originally going to be part of the Google Lunar X Prize, but that of course is now gone. It might be rekindled with a different sponsor (though I doubt it).

SpaceIL is the first of the GLXP teams to actually make it to a launch. For what it's worth, I expect Astrobotic to fly as well, and I think Team Indus and PTScientists may also get off the ground. I'm hearing things about Moon Express which cause me to doubt its chances.

More on landing sites shortly.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

A very nice update on SpaceIL at the Planetary Society:

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis...er-feature.html


In particular it contains details of the landing site, and it is one I had not seen mentioned before. The previous site information which I posted above was from an LPSC presentation, but this is different - the NW edge of Mare Serenitatis. In the earlier work mare areas were ruled out as not suitable for the use of their laser altimeter (too dark, reducing the reflected signal). Back to the (map) drawing board! (or as I call it, the kitchen table).

Phil

EDIT: Oops, here is an earlier statement:

https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-space-tea...g-for-the-moon/

I had seen it but had foolishly discounted it because of the earlier prohibition on dark mare surfaces.