Beresheet selfie with the moon
Beresheet selfie with the moonSpaceIL

Last month, Beresheet, the first Israeli spacecraft, successfully orbited the moon but then crash-landed on the moon's surface. However, the failed landing isn't deterring the Israeli government from trying twice as hard the second time around. Minister of Science, Technology and Space Ofir Akunis (Likud) announced on Sunday that the Israeli Space Agency (ISA) in the Ministry of Science will double its support for the Beresheet 2 project to NIS 20 million ($5.6 million), in comparison to the NIS 10 million it granted Beresheet 1.

Akunis also announced that the ISA has signed a contract with NASA to continue to assist SpaceIL (the Israeli nonprofit behind Beresheet) with its second lunar attempt. NASA assisted Beresheet's first launch by providing SpaceIL with laster retro-reflector technology to facilitate communication between the base and the spacecraft.

"Project Beresheet mesmerized and united all the citizens of Israel in anticipation of its successful landing on the moon," Akunis said. "The deep public interest, along with the breakthrough technological achievements, has heightened the need to increase the tremendous mobilization for the success of the project. I have no doubt that the decision to double government support and deepen cooperation with the United States space agency will aid the success of Beresheet 2 and its successful landing on the moon," Akunis concluded.