Israel’s spacecraft ‘Beresheet’ successfully maneuvers around the moon

The engineering teams of SpaceIL & IAI successfully performed their first maneuver around the moon, taking more photos of the far side from 550 km from the moon and 2500 km from the moon.

By Yoni Kempinski

 

On Sunday morning at 04:36, the engineering team of SpaceIL and IAI, successfully performed the first maneuver around the moon.

During the maneuver, Beresheet’s engines operated for about 271 seconds and the amount of fuel burned was approximately 55 kg.

Beresheet’s image of the Earth & moon. – Photo: SpaceIL, Instagram

In this maneuver, all the engines operated at the same time to slow the spacecraft with maximum thrust to date.

The maneuver, reduced the Apolune (farthest point from the moon) from 10,400 km to 750 km from the moon.

The Perilune (the closest point to the moon) is approximately 460 kilometers from the moon.

During the weekend “Beresheet” took more photos of the far side of the moon from 550 km from the moon and 2500 km from the moon.

The moon from a height of 550 km – Beresheet image courtesy of SpaceIL and IAI

 

Picture of Earth taken from Israel’s Beresheet spacecraft. – Beresheet image courtesy of SpaceIL and IAI

 

 

View original Arutz Sheva publication at:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/261476