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Israeli Group To Attempt Moon Landing

Posted by Soulskill on from the fly-me-to-the-moon dept.

cold fjord writes: "NDTV reports, 'Israel plans to do what only the world's biggest countries have so far managed to do: land an unmanned spacecraft on the moon ... only Russia, the U.S. and China have soft landed on the moon, and India hard landed its tri-colour using the moon impact probe in 2008 ... The washing machine-sized spacecraft that weighs 121 kilograms is being readied by a not-for-profit venture called SpaceIL. ... The Israeli lunar probe had its genesis after the $30 million Google Lunar X Prize was announced as a competition which challenged non-state-owned space agencies to land on the moon, send back photos, and move 500 meters on the surface of the moon. About two dozen global teams are racing to win the prize- SpaceIL reckons it's in pole position. ... ex-NASA engineer Yonatan Winetraub and two of his friends conceived of the spacecraft in 2010 ... then used a Facebook page to promote the dream. Today, the dream has matured into a $36 million mission with 20 full time employees and 250 volunteers. ... Around 40,000 school students have been associated with this project.' Further details are available here."

5 of 150 comments (clear)

  1. and where do they get this money? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    The U.S.

    1. Re:and where do they get this money? by alexander_686 · · Score: 1, Troll

      Israel gets a good chunk of direct aid from the US (Classified as military aid, so the pro-Israeli Republicans can cut foreign aid to zero without touching Israel) and indirect aid (the semi-implicit security guaranty).

      The point being without this aid, Israel may not have enough free resources to do something like this. Or maybe it is to remind everybody that the nuclear tipped missiles.

    2. Re:and where do they get this money? by murdocj · · Score: 0, Troll

      Congratulations. I was wondering where the first anti-Israel comment would come in. Nice job.

    3. Re:and where do they get this money? by litehacksaur111 · · Score: 0, Troll

      Israel's defense is entirely paid for by the US, We still give them 10 billion a year in financial aid.

  2. Possibly a Good idea by rueger · · Score: 0, Troll

    If they can send all of the "settlers" there, instead of into Palestine.

    (Why am I imagine a mash up between Gil Scott Heron and Mel Brooks?

    --
    Three Squirrels