Israeli space probe Beresheet failed in its attempt to land on the Moon on Thursday April 11th.
The spacecraft which had entered lunar orbit a few days earlier developed a problem in its guidance system at an altitude of 13 kilometers. The spacecraft became incapable of accurately tracking its acceleration, which led to its engine stopping from working as planned.
An attempt to reset the spacecraft’s system and restart the engine failed and the spacecraft impacted with the lunar surface at 19:23 Greenwich time.
In the typical manner of new, less costly private space endeavours the engine was not custom built and was instead a modified communications satellite engine, intended for orbital operations and its type had not been used for landings before.
The hydrazine-fuel using thruster engine was built by Nammo company in Great Britain.
The $100 million dollar spacecraft, privately built but later gaining support from government eager to use it for propaganda purposes, originally targeted the Google lunar X Prize, but like all participants was unable to launch before the time for the $10 million competition ran out.
Prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu, who just won a re-election as his alliance of hard-right, far-right and religious parties gained 65 seats in the Knesset, visited the control room for the spacecraft team just before the landing attempt began.
PHOTO: Last photo taken by the spacecraft on lunar orbit before landing attempt by @TeamSpaceIL
SOURCES:
IPNOT GLOBAL 
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