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Israeli Beresheet moon lander mission timeline and
trajectory. Credit: SpaceIL/IAI
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Ken
Kremer -- SpaceUpClose.com &
RocketSTEM -- 26 February 2019
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – Isreal’s first moon mission ‘Beresheet’ suffered a computer glitch Monday evening Feb 25 forcing cancellation of its second planned orbit raising thruster firing maneuver as it continues on its current orbit to reach the Moon in about two months, according to the SpaceIL team leading the mission.
The thruster firing of the probes main engine had been scheduled for Tuesday 12 a.m. Israel local time or 5 p.m. Monday, Feb 25.
“Last night at around 12 a.m. Israel time, another maneuver was planned for Beresheet as it passed near Earth, in an area without communication,” SpaceIL and IAI’s engineering team said in a Feb. 26 statement.
“During the pre-maneuver phase the spacecraft computer reset unexpectedly, causing the maneuver to be automatically cancelled.”
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – Isreal’s first moon mission ‘Beresheet’ suffered a computer glitch Monday evening Feb 25 forcing cancellation of its second planned orbit raising thruster firing maneuver as it continues on its current orbit to reach the Moon in about two months, according to the SpaceIL team leading the mission.
The thruster firing of the probes main engine had been scheduled for Tuesday 12 a.m. Israel local time or 5 p.m. Monday, Feb 25.
“Last night at around 12 a.m. Israel time, another maneuver was planned for Beresheet as it passed near Earth, in an area without communication,” SpaceIL and IAI’s engineering team said in a Feb. 26 statement.
“During the pre-maneuver phase the spacecraft computer reset unexpectedly, causing the maneuver to be automatically cancelled.”
The Beresheet lunar lander is a joint endeavor funded
and built by Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
It marks Israel’s first lunar mission and also counts as being the world’s first
privately funded lunar mission.
The lunar landing had been expected on April 11 if all goes well.
Otherwise the probe remains healthy and in communication with Israeli ground controllers.
“Communication between the control center and the spacecraft remains as planned, and Beresheet continues its previous orbit until the next maneuver. We will continue to provide updates regularly.”
In the meantime engineers continue to analyze the telemetry and determine a way forward.
“The engineering teams of SpaceIL and IAI are examining the data and analyzing the situation. At this time, the spacecraft’s systems are working well, except for the known problem in the star tracker.”
The lunar landing had been expected on April 11 if all goes well.
Otherwise the probe remains healthy and in communication with Israeli ground controllers.
“Communication between the control center and the spacecraft remains as planned, and Beresheet continues its previous orbit until the next maneuver. We will continue to provide updates regularly.”
In the meantime engineers continue to analyze the telemetry and determine a way forward.
“The engineering teams of SpaceIL and IAI are examining the data and analyzing the situation. At this time, the spacecraft’s systems are working well, except for the known problem in the star tracker.”
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Beresheet
lunar lander provided by Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace
Industries (IAI) for launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 on Feb 21, 2019. Credit Space
IL/IAI
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The first firing took place as planned Feb 24 when Beresheet's main engine was successfully ignited at 1:29 p.m. Israel time (6:29 a.m. EST).
“Beresheet's first maneuver was completed successfully by SpaceIL and IAI's engineering team. The planned maneuver took into account the problems that were identified in the star trackers after launch.”
“The 30-second maneuver was made at a distance of 69,400 km from Earth and will increase the spacecraft’s closest point of approach to Earth to a distance of 600 km.”
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Long duration streak shot of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on 1st
launch of 2019 from Florida Space Coast delivering Nusantara
Satu communications satellite to Earth orbit for Indonesia and the privately
funded Beresheet moon launder on lunar trajectory for Israel after Feb 21, 2019
nighttime liftoff at 8:45 PM EST from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station, FL - as moon rises at right. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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To date only three countries have successfully landed on the Moon- the US, Russia and China and those were all government run missions.
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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off on 1st launch
of 2019 from Florida Space Coast delivering Nusantara Satu communications
satellite to Earth orbit for Indonesia and privately funded Beresheet moon launder
on lunar trajectory for Israel after Feb 21, 2019 nighttime liftoff at 8:45 PM
EST from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Beresheet was developed at a cost of almost $100
million and will be the world’s first privately funded and developed moon
lander.
The Falcon 9 launch propelled Beresheet onto the proper trajectory to begin a series of 4 elongating long looping orbits to gradually reach the moon.
The four landing legs were deployed as planned soon after launch.
Beresheet, which in Hebrew means “genesis” or “in the beginning” was one of the competitors for the now defunct Google Lunar XPrize.
If successful it will be the smallest spacecraft to ever land on the Moon, at only 1,322 lbs, or 600 kgs, fueled. The probe has an unfueled mass of 180 kg.
Beresheet is traveling to the Moon using its own power and thruster after launching as a rideshae payload.
The voyage will take about two months over several expanding elliptical orbits
– for the longest ever trip to Earth’s nearest neighbor covering a total distance of 6.5 million km.
It was achieve orbit on April 4. If all goes well lunar touchdown was scheduled for April 11 at Mare Serenitatis (Sea of Serenity).
The impact of the cancelled thruster firing is not yet known.
It will transmit photos and video from the lunar surface and conduct scientific measurements with a magnetometer and laser retroreflector from NASA Goddard. Also onboard is aa Israeli flag, a time capsule, and a lunar library.
Beresheet has a lifetime of about 2 days. There is no thermal control. The team hopes to make it hop about 500 meters before it dies.
The moon probe measures 2 meters (6.6 ft) in diameter and 1.5 meters in height.
Watch my post launch interview on i24 Isreali TV News here:
The Falcon 9 launch propelled Beresheet onto the proper trajectory to begin a series of 4 elongating long looping orbits to gradually reach the moon.
The four landing legs were deployed as planned soon after launch.
Beresheet, which in Hebrew means “genesis” or “in the beginning” was one of the competitors for the now defunct Google Lunar XPrize.
If successful it will be the smallest spacecraft to ever land on the Moon, at only 1,322 lbs, or 600 kgs, fueled. The probe has an unfueled mass of 180 kg.
Beresheet is traveling to the Moon using its own power and thruster after launching as a rideshae payload.
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Artists concept of Israeli Beresheet lunar lander mission with
sponsors. Credit: SpaceIL/IAI
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It was achieve orbit on April 4. If all goes well lunar touchdown was scheduled for April 11 at Mare Serenitatis (Sea of Serenity).
The impact of the cancelled thruster firing is not yet known.
It will transmit photos and video from the lunar surface and conduct scientific measurements with a magnetometer and laser retroreflector from NASA Goddard. Also onboard is aa Israeli flag, a time capsule, and a lunar library.
Beresheet has a lifetime of about 2 days. There is no thermal control. The team hopes to make it hop about 500 meters before it dies.
The moon probe measures 2 meters (6.6 ft) in diameter and 1.5 meters in height.
Watch my post launch interview on i24 Isreali TV News here:
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Dr. Ken Kremer/Space UpClose interviewed by i24
anchor Michelle Makori during Beresheet mission launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 from
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Feb 21, 2019
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http://www.fox35orlando.com/news/local-news/spacex-plans-falcon-9-rocket-launch-for-thursday
Meanwhile the Falcon 9 first stage that
launched Beresheet and then safely touched down on the OCISLY droneship at sea arrived
into Port Canaveral by tugboat Sunday morning, Feb 24, just 2.5 days after blastoff.
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3 Roundtrips to Space and
Back: This recovered SpaceX Falcon 9 booster soft landed atop OCISLY drone
ship sailed into Port Canaveral past Jetty Park Pier Sunday morning, Feb 24 towed
by Signet Warhorse tugboat just
2.5 days after launching privately funded Israeli Beresheet moon lander Feb
21, 2019 and Indonesian Nusantara Satu comsat from Space Launch Complex-40 on
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Watch for Ken’s continuing
onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.
Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.
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Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
Learn more about the upcoming/recent SpaceX Demo-1, Falcon 9 Nusantara Satu launch, USAF GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-16 launch to ISS, NASA missions, ULA Atlas & Delta launches, SpySats and more at Ken’s upcoming outreach events at Quality Inn Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, FL, evenings:
Feb 28/Mar 1/2: “SpaceX Falcon 9 Demo-1 and Nusantara Satu launch, Dragon CRS-16 resupply launch to ISS, SpaceX Falcon GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon Heavy & Falcon 9 launches, upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 USAF GP3 3-01, NRO & USAF Spysats, SLS, Orion, Boeing and SpaceX Commercial crew capsules, OSIRIS-Rex, Juno at Jupiter, InSight Mars lander, Curiosity and Opportunity explore Mars, NH at Pluto, Kuiper Belt and more,” Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings. Photos for sale
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
Learn more about the upcoming/recent SpaceX Demo-1, Falcon 9 Nusantara Satu launch, USAF GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-16 launch to ISS, NASA missions, ULA Atlas & Delta launches, SpySats and more at Ken’s upcoming outreach events at Quality Inn Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, FL, evenings:
Feb 28/Mar 1/2: “SpaceX Falcon 9 Demo-1 and Nusantara Satu launch, Dragon CRS-16 resupply launch to ISS, SpaceX Falcon GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon Heavy & Falcon 9 launches, upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 USAF GP3 3-01, NRO & USAF Spysats, SLS, Orion, Boeing and SpaceX Commercial crew capsules, OSIRIS-Rex, Juno at Jupiter, InSight Mars lander, Curiosity and Opportunity explore Mars, NH at Pluto, Kuiper Belt and more,” Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings. Photos for sale
Ken’s
upcoming talks:
Apr 3: “Exploring
Mars; The Search for Life & A Journey in 3-D.” 7 PM, Lawton C
Johnson Middle School, Summit, NJ. Open to the public. Details upcoming.
Latest results from Mars & Ultima Thule
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