Following its 2019 failure, Israeli non-profit SpaceIL is gearing up for a bolder lunar attempt in early 2024, deploying not one but two landers.
In February 2019, SpaceIL's Beresheet spacecraft launched from Florida on a SpaceX rocket, aiming to make Israel the fourth nation to softly land on the Moon. Tragically, about two months later, the main engine failed during descent, causing a crash in the Sea of Serenity.
Undeterred, mission leaders stayed optimistic. Billionaire funder Morris Kahn noted, "We didn't succeed, but we definitely tried. Getting to where we have been is really amazing. We can be proud." NASA's Thomas Zurbuchen, then deputy administrator for science missions, added, "Space is difficult, but it's worth taking risks. If we were successful every time, we wouldn't get any rewards. It's when we keep trying that we inspire others and achieve greatness."
SpaceIL is now advancing Beresheet 2, a more ambitious mission slated for the first half of 2024. It features two compact landers and an orbiter, with a budget of about €82 million—similar to the original.
Each new lander weighs roughly 118 kg, far lighter than Beresheet's nearly 600 kg, enabling dual landing sites (yet to be announced). The orbiter will circle the Moon for at least two years.
To offset costs, SpaceIL anticipates international partnerships covering half the funding. Co-founder Kfir Damari revealed seven nations, including the UAE, have shown interest, though others remain unnamed. The Israel Space Agency may contribute, with the balance from private donors.
This effort builds on SpaceIL's finalist status in the 2007 Google Lunar XPRIZE, where no team met the deadline for a private lunar landing. Philanthropic support kept the dream alive post-competition.
