SpaceX Rocket Deploys Israeli Lunar Lander

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]SpaceX successfully launched and landed a Falcon 9 rocket Thursday night. The rocket carried a triple payload: Indonesia’s Nusantara Satu satellite, a US Air Force Research Laboratory satellite, and a $100 million lunar lander from SpaceIL, an Israeli nonprofit.

SpaceIL’s “Beresheet” mission was started by a Google Lunar X Prize team and backed by the Israeli-South African billionaire Morris Kahn. It’s expected to reach the moon on April 4 and land on April 11. If successful, it will make Israel the fourth country to land on the moon.

The Falcon 9’s first stage booster landed eight minutes and 48 seconds after taking off at 8:45 p.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the Falcon 9 experienced the highest reentry heating to date. The same booster is expected to be used for a fourth time in April.

Watch the full mission below.[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS0E35aYJcU” video_title=”1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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