The Israeli spacecraft Beresheet reached a critical milestone on Thursday after it successfully entered the moon's orbit.
The complex maneuver to enter the moon's gravity, called lunar capture, was particularly important, as it was key to making a soft landing on the moon, scheduled for April 11.
Earlier this week, Beresheet ("In the beginning," the Hebrew name for the Book of Genesis) passed Earth for the final time.
If the mission succeeds, Israel will become the fourth country to make a soft landing on the moon, after the Soviet Union, the United States and China.
The Beresheet mission was originally part of the Google Lunar XPrize competition and even made the final cut before the contest ended last year without a winner.
The organizers decided to press ahead on their own, and the project – which cost around 100 million dollars – was financed largely by philanthropists Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson together with SpaceIL President Morris Kahn, as well as other donors from around the world.
The Adelson family owns the company that is the primary shareholder in Israel Hayom. Dr. Miriam Adelson is the publisher of Israel Hayom.
