Israel could launch first private moon mission in 2017

SpaceIL, a private aerospace group from Israel competing for the Google Lunar XPrize, is looking to become the first non-governmental organization to attempt to land on the moon when they lift off for the lunar surface in 2017.

The team has signed a contract with California-based Spaceflight Industries which will enable them to launch their rover aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher, according to Gizmodo and NBC News. They are among the first XPrize teams to secure such a contract, the media outlets added, making them among the favorites to capture the contest’s $20 million first prize.

“We are proud to officially confirm receipt and verification of SpaceIL’s launch contract,” Bob Weiss, president and vice chairman of XPrize, said in a statement, “positioning them as the first and only Google Lunar XPRIZE team to demonstrate this important achievement, thus far.”

“The magnitude of this achievement cannot be overstated, representing an unprecedented and monumental commitment for a privately-funded organization, and kicks off an exciting phase of the competition in which the other 15 teams now have until the end of 2016 to produce their own verified launch contracts,” he added.

Success would allow Israel to join an elite club

If SpaceIL’s efforts are successful, it would make Israel only the fourth nation to have landed a rover on the moon, joining the US, Russia, and China. The non-profit group is primarily funded by private donors, Gizmodo said, and has raised $50 million towards their work thus far.

“Only three countries have ‘soft-landed’ a rover on the surface of the moon,” SpaceIL CEO Eran Privman said during a Wednesday press conference announcing the deal. “Now the notion of the small state of Israel being added to this exclusive list look more promising than ever.”

“Last year we made significant strides toward landing on the moon, both in terms of project financing and in terms of the engineering design and now, we are thrilled to finally secure our launch agreement,” Privman added. “This takes us one huge step closer to realize our vision of recreating an ‘Apollo effect’ in Israel: to inspire a new generation to pursue Science, Engineering, Technology, and Math (STEM).”

While the Israeli group is not the only XPrize team to have signed a deal to hitch a ride to the moon, as California-based Moon Express and Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic also have signed such contracts, NBC News noted that they are the first to begin the verification process – a process in which contest organizers will review and assess the contracts and related paperwork.

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Feature Image: SpaceIL