Israel's moon mission will be postponed to 2019, the SpaceIL NGO, who is planning it, announced Wednesday.
SpaceIL's dishwasher-size craft was scheduled to be launched into space in December 2018. The organization did not provide the reason for the delay.
The spacecraft, whose assembly was recently concluded, has successfully completed a series of integration tests, including extreme atmospheric and acoustic noise test simulating launching and landing conditions, to ensure that its systems will operate once in orbit.
Also on Wednesday, the Israel Space Agency announced plans to award SpaceIL a 7.25 million shekel ($2 million) grant to continue developing breakthrough space technology.
Support for the NGO will include financing the scientific experiment as part of which the spacecraft will measure the moon's magnetic field, school lectures, educational activities, and a cyber championship, Channel 12 reported.
Last week, the ISA and SpaceIL announced that once the spacecraft is launched, American space agency NASA will assist in tracking and communicating with its as it prepares to land on the moon. To this end, the spacecraft will be fitted with a laser reflector that would broadcast its lunar location to NASA.
SpaceIL will also share with NASA the data collected on the magnetic field at the landing site.
