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| SpaceIL | |
|---|---|
| Name | SpaceIL |
| Formation | 2011 |
| Founders | Yonatan Winetraub, Kfir Damari, Yonatan Kushnir |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | Tel Aviv |
| Location | Israel |
| Key people | Ido Antebi, Mordechai (Mordi) Bracha, Jerusalem College of Technology |
| Mission | Promote Israeli space capabilities and lunar exploration |
SpaceIL was an Israeli nonprofit organization established to advance civilian lunar exploration and stimulate STEM education in Israel. It participated in the Google Lunar X Prize competition and developed the Beresheet lunar lander, which performed a historic near-landing in 2019. The organization collaborated with academic institutions, industry partners, and international agencies to develop spacecraft, propulsion, and navigation technologies.
Founded in 2011 by Yonatan Winetraub, Kfir Damari, and Yonatan Kushnir, the group initially entered the Google Lunar X Prize competition alongside teams such as Astrobotic Technology and Moon Express. Early milestones included partnerships with the Israel Aerospace Industries and the procurement of a launch contract with SpaceX for a Falcon 9 mission. The project evolved following the cancellation of the cash prize, refocusing on a civilian lunar mission and technology demonstration. In April 2019 the lander launched aboard a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral and performed a controlled descent toward the Mare Serenitatis, culminating in a crash-landing that nonetheless yielded significant telemetry and public interest. Post-mission activities included recovery efforts, analysis, and proposals for an upgraded lander.
The nonprofit operated with a board and executive team drawn from Israeli academia and industry, including alumni from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Tel Aviv University, and the Israel Defense Forces technical corps. Funding sources combined private philanthropy from individuals and foundations, corporate sponsorships from entities like Israel Aerospace Industries and technology firms, and support from municipal and national bodies including Ministry of Science and Technology (Israel). International collaborations brought in in-kind contributions and contracts with companies such as Boeing contractors and subcontractors from the United States and Europe.
The Beresheet lander, developed as a flight demonstrator, incorporated a primary structure, propulsion system, guidance computers, and scientific payloads including a magnetometer from Weizmann Institute of Science and a laser retroreflector array provided by NASA affiliates. Launch on a Falcon 9 placed the spacecraft into a translunar trajectory via multiple orbit-raising maneuvers using a custom low-thrust main engine derived from electric and hypergolic propulsion concepts tested in collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries. During descent, a sequence of engine burns, attitude adjustments, and sensor inputs guided the craft toward a planned landing site near the Lacus Somniorum region. Communications were maintained through ground stations including those at Sde Boker and partner facilities in Greece and Cyprus, with mission control operations coordinated from a control room in Tel Aviv.
Following the 2019 mission, the organization proposed a rebuilt lander variant with enhanced redundancy and scientific payload capacity, engaging with teams from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and private aerospace startups. It explored lunar surface operations, small satellite buses, and partnerships for payload integrations with firms such as SpaceX and Arianespace for future launch opportunities. The group also advised national space strategy discussions alongside representatives from the Israel Space Agency and provided consultancy to commercial ventures in small launchers and cubesat deployments.
Engineering efforts produced systems in structural design, avionics, propulsion, and autonomy. Avionics design integrated flight computers influenced by architectures from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and sensor suites including star trackers and inertial measurement units from suppliers in United Kingdom and Germany. Propulsion development combined monopropellant and bipropellant heritage with mission-specific throttleable engines for descent control, while navigation algorithms used optical navigation techniques similar to those developed for NASA robotic missions. Thermal control, radiation shielding, and deployable solar arrays were engineered in collaboration with research centers at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and industrial partners in Haifa.
A core mission was to inspire Israeli youth and support STEM initiatives through school programs, public exhibitions, and partnerships with institutions such as the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation. The organization ran educational workshops, hosted mission broadcasts for national television networks like Kan 11, and organized exhibits at venues including the Bloomfield Science Museum and universities across Israel. Outreach also included international presentations at forums like the International Astronautical Congress and cooperative programs with educational NGOs.
The mission and organization received national and international recognition, including honors from the President of Israel and awards from scientific societies. The Beresheet mission earned commendations from entities such as the Israel Space Agency and public science organizations, and was featured in global media coverage alongside retrospectives at aerospace conferences like the AIAA meetings. The project's legacy influenced subsequent Israeli space policy and encouraged increased investment from academic and commercial stakeholders.
Category:Israeli spaceflight organizations Category:Lunar exploration