Beresheet's view from far side of the moon
Beresheet's view from far side of the moonSpaceIL

The Beresheet lunar lander, Israel’s first spacecraft, has sent back to Earth its first pictures taken from the far side of the moon after successfully establishing a lunar orbit.

In a statement released Friday morning by SpaceIL, the company which designed and operates Beresheet, the spacecraft is on track to make its planned April 11th moon landing following a successful maneuver Thursday.

“After examining the preliminary data received during the night from Beresheet by the engineering team of SpaceIL and IAI, the control room updates that Beresheet is in an excellent orbit!

“The nearest point to the moon (Perilune) is 470 km from the moon and the point farthest from the moon (Apolune) at a distance of 10,400 km.

“The landing is scheduled for April 11 approximately 23:00 Israeli time - an accurate update will be published in the coming days. During the coming week, the maneuvers intense preparations for the landing will be conducted.

“Yesterday during the critical Lunar Capture maneuver, Beresheet photographed amazing photos of the moon while activating the engines.”

The images taken by Beresheet were captured while the spacecraft was at an altitude of 470 kilometers (292 miles) from the moon’s surface.

Beresheet's view from far side of the moon
Beresheet's view from far side of the moonSpaceIL