SpaceIL and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) signed for the first time cooperation agreement; a German-developed navigation algorithm will assist the spacecraft to land on the Moon.
SpaceIL and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have signed a cooperation agreement for the "Beresheet2" space mission. The mission, the second lunar mission by SpaceIL, will be comprised of three spacecraft system, which is expected to be completed by mid-2025.
The agreement includes the use of the unique Crater Navigation algorithm (CNav) developed by DLR. CNav identifies craters in images of the lunar surface and matches them to an onboard crater database. It will provide accurate GPS-like positioning information to assist the spacecraft's navigation during the entire landing process. This cooperation will help to collect and analyze the data, and will contribute to space research in Israel, Germany, and worldwide.
The "Beresheet2" mission aims to achieve several records, including a double landing on the Moon in a single mission using the smallest lunar landers ever launched, each weighing about 150 kg. One of the landers is planned to land on the far side of the Moon, a feat only accomplished by China to date, and the other one is planned to land on the near side of the Moon. The mothership (Orbiter), designed for a long-term mission, will orbit the moon for up to five years and will serve as a platform for educational science activities in Israel and worldwide via a remote connection that will enable students in multiple countries to participate in deep-space scientific research.
SpaceIL has raised about 85% of the funds needed for the project, thanks to donations from a group of leading philanthropists and entrepreneurs, including the Patrick and Lina Drahi Foundation, the Morris Kahn Foundation, and the Moshal Foundation
DLR
DLR is the Federal Republic of Germany's research centre for aeronautics and space. It conducts research and development activities in the fields of aeronautics, space, energy, transport, security and digitalization. The German Space Agency at DLR plans and implements the national space program on behalf of the federal government. Two DLR project management agencies oversee funding programs and support knowledge transfer.
CNav is developed by DLR’s Institute of Space Systems in Bremen. The Institute designs and analyses future spacecraft and space missions (launchers, orbital and exploration systems, and satellites), and assesses them with regard to their technical performance and cost. It applies and develops innovative space system technologies and state-of-the-art methods to enable future space missions.