In the coming days, a Falcon-9 rocket to carry the first Israeli spacecraft in the direction of the moon. The project is also a novelty, because it is the first privately funded landing on the moon.
The country module Beresheet of the Israeli company SpaceIL looks
“Beresheet” is the Name of the lander, expected to be on 22. February is supposed to lift off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket of Space X at Cape Canaveral. The Name refers to the first weekly portion of the Torah and translated it means: “The beginning”.
In fact, the project is also a new beginning, in two ways. It is not only Israel’s first landing on the moon, but it is also the first privately initiated and funded moon mission at all.
It all started with a contest
Beresheet got its Initial impulse through a competition, launched in 2007, “Google Lunar X Prize”. The call to Google was aimed exclusively at private competitors, to design until the end of March 2018, a land robot for the moon. He should be able to get to the moon, only 500 meters to move around and send high-resolution video images back to earth.
Although none of the 34 Teams won the prize, because Google no trust to build in the allotted time the robot, but the Israeli candidate SpaceIL refused to be discouraged by this and continued his plans nonetheless. To the extent that now the space probe is ready to start.
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During the competition, Lunar X, Google: President Shimon Perez in 2011, received a ticket of SpaceIL
Private financing for the promotion of education
SpaceIL is a non-profit Association of education promotes programs in the area of research and technology. It is funded by donations from individual private sponsors , it also works with the Israeli space Agency ISA.
A jumping robot
The Space IL team of developers, founded by engineers Yariv Bash, Kfir Damari and Yonatan Winetraub, and has devised a very unusual method for their countries: to overcome the required 500 meters, Beresheet bounce with the help of a small rocket engine.
This is due to the low gravity on the moon is probably not a big Problem. And also the Transmission of high-resolution Videos and images, to dare to SpaceIL, without a doubt.
The builders of Beresheet have thought out in your Design but still something special: they send also a time capsule on the moon.
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Great Symbol Of Strength
In the time capsule three digital storage Discs are with hundreds of files. It is for Israel, particularly significant documents and works, such as the Declaration of independence and the national anthem, Hebrew songs, the prayer for the journey, but also drawings of children.
And also scientifically, the probe is integrated into existing research projects. So Beresheet has a Magnetometer on Board, which data are to be transferred to the Lunar Reconnoisance Orbiter of NASA.
Above all, it is SpaceIL, however, is to inspire young people for the world of space research,technology and engineering. Not least because the lighthouse project is also in time for the anniversary of the first moon landing. 21. July 2019 will mark the Moment 50. Time as a NASA Astronaut Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon.
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Myth Of The MoonReligious symbolism and astronomy
In the early days the forces of the moon was worshipped, To be increase and Decrease associated with the activities of the people. The time was counted in moons instead of days, and Roman months. The sky disc of Nebra, 1999 in Saxony-Anhalt found, for both aspects: early astronomy, and spirituality. Her age is estimated to be 3700 to 4100 years.
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Myth Of The MoonThe Fascination Of The Blood Moon
In the case of a total lunar Eclipse the moon turns in the shadow of the earth blood-red – a phenomenon, the star-Gazer on the evening of 27. July 2018 for a particularly long time to be able to observe. The sight brought back memories of the “super moon” of 2015 (picture). At that time, the moon, the earth, and came close in its orbit and appeared to increase in size. Since time immemorial, the earth’s satellite is considered to be mysterious and magical.
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Myth Of The MoonCharged with significance
In art state-of-the moon over the centuries for many different things: the innocence, the virgin Mary, for female sexuality. The high phase of the employment with the moon the romance was. The artist wanted to give the moon its magic. Here in the picture: Caspar David Friedrich’s “Two men contemplating the moon” from the year 1820.
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Myth Of The MoonMuse of the Poet
In the literature, the moon has always played a large role. Especially the lyric uses the earth’s natural satellite. He is mostly melancholy and longing – but for consolation, as in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s poem “To the moon”. In the first Verse of the poem reads: “Füllest again Bush and valley silently with a mist of gloss, finally solve once my soul.”
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Myth Of The MoonThe moon howl at
The moon not only stimulates screech-owl and wolves to Sing, the man is singing the praises of since time immemorial, the heaven of the body. Famous examples from the modern period Matthias Claudius, evening song (“The moon has risen”), Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade”, Elvis Presley’s “Blue Moon” or Pink Floyd’s Album “The Dark Side Of The Moon”.
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Myth Of The MoonHorror and romance
Mark Twain once said: “Everyone is like a moon. He has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.” Since ancient times there is to Say to people who transform at the full moon into wolves. The cinema is on the werewolf myth. Here is a picture from “The wolf man” from 1941. However, even in romantic comedies such as the U.S. Film “moonstruck” (1987) playing to the moon a major role.
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Myth Of The MoonMedia Century Event
With the first manned landing on the moon in 1969, the moon would have to lose its last secrets, and therefore also its power of attraction. Suddenly, people were walking around – as here, in the image Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the place and took photos. Science, it seemed, had conquered the moon finally.
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Myth Of The MoonUnbroken Attraction
But the fascination of the moon has not diminished by his conquest. In 2013, the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and his Danish colleague, Ólafur Elíasson called their project “Moon”: www.moonmoonmoonmoon.com everyone can immortalize with a drawing on the moon. “Look at the moon, grow together, while others also look at him,” said Weiwei and Elíasson.