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A non-profit Israeli consortium said on Monday, 18 February, that it hopes to make history this week by launching the first private aircraft to land on the moon.
The launch is scheduled late Thursday, 21 February, in the United States and early Friday, 22 February, in Israel and India (7:15 am IST). It had been originally slated for last December.
SpaceIL CEO Ido Anteby and Opher Doron, general manager of the IAI's space division, said the spacecraft will slingshot around the Earth at least six times in order to reach the moon and land on its surface on 11 April.
SpaceIL has attempted to drum up public excitement for the lunar mission in Israel in recent months, visiting classrooms around the country and sponsoring television advertisements that put Israel on par with global powers.
Israel's space programme Chief Avi Blasberger said he hopes SpaceIL will create a "Beresheet effect" in Israel, akin to the Apollo effect, to promote science among a new generation.
SpaceIL was founded in 2011 and originally competed for Google's Lunar Xprize, which challenged private companies to try to land a robotic spacecraft on the moon. But the $20 million competition was scrapped by the tech giant last year when it became clear none of the five companies would meet a preset deadline.
Kahn said he believes that "every Jew, not only every Israeli, will remember where he was when Israel landed on the moon."
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