Beresheet

*Beresheet*
	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.spaceil.com
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°35′44″N 19°20′59″E / 32.5956°N 19.3496°E
Instruments
	Magnetometer
	Laser retroreflector array
	Beresheet Series Beresheet 2 →

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.^[10] Its final resting position is 32.5956°N, 19.3496°E.^[11]

The lander was previously known as Sparrow and was officially renamed to Beresheet in December 2018.^[12] 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.^[13] It used seven ground stations for Earth–lander communication.^[14] Its mission control center was at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in Yehud, Israel.

^ This 'Sparrow' lunar lander may soon make Israel the 4th country to land the Moon Dave Mosher, Business Insider 14 August 2018
^ SpaceX Delays Launch of First Private Lunar Lander Without Explanation Kristin Houser, Futurism 18 December 2018
^ IAI studying follow-on opportunities for SpaceIL lunar lander Jeff Foust, SpaceNews 17 September 2018
^ "Beresheet". NASA's Solar System Exploration website. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
^ "Israeli unmanned spacecraft to land on Moon in 2019". BBC News. 10 July 2018.
^ Cite error: The named reference NSF 20190221 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Pietrobon, Steven (8 December 2018). "United States Commercial ELV Launch Manifest". Retrieved 8 December 2018.
^ Israeli spirits soar as Moon launch countdown begins 18 February 2019
^ Here's (almost) everything you need to know about Israel's Moon lander Jason Davis, The Planetary Society 8 November 2018
^ Lidman, Melanie. "Israel's Beresheet spacecraft crashes into the moon during landing attempt". The Times of Israel.
^ "Beresheet Crash Site Spotted! | Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera". Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC), School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
^ SpaceIL, IAI to send time capsule on Israel's historic Moon mission Archived 30 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine SpaceIL website Retrieved 17 December 2018
^ "Tiny Israeli spacecraft Beresheet enters orbit around the moon". 6 April 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
^ SpaceIL - Technology Archived 10 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine

[1] This 'Sparrow' lunar lander may soon make Israel the 4th country to land the Moon Dave Mosher, Business Insider 14 August 2018

[Houser_2018-2] SpaceX Delays Launch of First Private Lunar Lander Without Explanation Kristin Houser, Futurism 18 December 2018

[Sparrow_manufacture_Sep_2018-3] IAI studying follow-on opportunities for SpaceIL lunar lander Jeff Foust, SpaceNews 17 September 2018

[4] "Beresheet". NASA's Solar System Exploration website. Retrieved 29 November 2022.

[BBC_News_2018-07-10-5] "Israeli unmanned spacecraft to land on Moon in 2019". BBC News. 10 July 2018.

[NSF_20190221-6] Cite error: The named reference NSF 20190221 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Pietrobon-7] Pietrobon, Steven (8 December 2018). "United States Commercial ELV Launch Manifest". Retrieved 8 December 2018.

[8] Israeli spirits soar as Moon launch countdown begins 18 February 2019

[PS_Davis_2018-9] Here's (almost) everything you need to know about Israel's Moon lander Jason Davis, The Planetary Society 8 November 2018

[10] Lidman, Melanie. "Israel's Beresheet spacecraft crashes into the moon during landing attempt". The Times of Israel.

[LROC_crash_spotted-11] "Beresheet Crash Site Spotted! | Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera". Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC), School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University. Retrieved 19 September 2019.

[12] SpaceIL, IAI to send time capsule on Israel's historic Moon mission Archived 30 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine SpaceIL website Retrieved 17 December 2018

[13] "Tiny Israeli spacecraft Beresheet enters orbit around the moon". 6 April 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2019.

[14] SpaceIL - Technology Archived 10 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine

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