In December, Israel will launch a rocket from Florida in the attempt to become the fourth country to reach the moon, following the United States, Russia and China. Israel Aerospace Industries and SpaceIL have announced their plan to launch from Cape Canaveral and to land on the moon on February 13. The landing would respresent the culmination of eight years of work and an investment of $88 million.
The journey to the moon will last about two months. At 1,322 pounds, Israel’s spacecraft will be the smallest ever to land on the moon. Upon landing, the plan is for the spacecraft to take photos and video of the landing site, and to measure the moon’s magnetic field for a Weizmann Institute scientific experiment.
Read more on JTA