The Falcon 9 rocket belonging to private US aerospace company SpaceX has released Israel's first lunar rover Beresheet and launched Indonesian communications satellite Nusantara Satu to a transfer orbit, successfully completing its mission, the company announced on Friday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd February, 2019) The Falcon 9 rocket belonging to private US aerospace company SpaceX has released Israel's first lunar rover Beresheet and launched Indonesian communications satellite Nusantara Satu to a transfer orbit, successfully completing its mission, the company announced on Friday.
The rocket carrying the devices lift off from the US Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 8:45 p.m. on Thursday (01:45 GMT on Friday).
"Successful deployment of the SpaceIL lunar lander confirmed, starting the spacecraft's two-month voyage to the Moon," SpaceX said via its official Twitter feed.
Israel's SpaceIL non-profit organization, which developed the lunar rover, in turn, announced via Twitter that the Beresheet had deployed its landing legs as expected.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has congratulated SpaceIL on the successful launch of the lunar mission.
"Congratulations to SpaceIL and the Israel Space Agency. This is a historic step for all nations and commercial space as we look to extend our collaborations beyond low-Earth orbit and on to the Moon," Bridenstine said in a statement, published on the space agency's official website.
Meanwhile, the Nusantara Satu satellite has been successfully placed into a transfer orbit from where it should reach its final destination.
"Successful deployment of Nusantara Satu to geosynchronous transfer orbit confirmed � completing SpaceX's 70th mission!" SpaceX tweeted.
If Beresheet does reach the Moon, Israel will become the fourth country in the world to successfully land a spacecraft on the Earth's natural satellite after China, Russia and the United States. The spacecraft is expected to land on the Moon on April 11. Its mission will include measuring the magnetic field of the Moon and taking high resolution panoramic photographs.
The Nusantara Satu satellite, produced by US manufacturer SSL, is set to provide data, video and voice distribution along with broadband internet throughout Southeast Asia.
