The refueling process of the spacecraft has already started today. The spacecraft is in a combination hall with the launcher and several satellites that will participate in the same launch
Today (Monday) the SpaceIL association and the Aerospace Industry, the partnership for the first Israeli spacecraft project "Bereshit", are updating on significant progress in preparing the spacecraft for the launch - which is expected to take place in the second half of February, in about a few weeks.
About a week and a half ago, the first Israeli spacecraft, Berashit, arrived at the launch site at Cape Canaveral, from where it will be launched on a SpaceX launcher. From the moment she landed she was accompanied by SpaceIL engineers and the Aerospace Industry. The spacecraft stays in the test and integration hall with the other satellites and the launcher that will be used in the mission, for comprehensive tests and assembly before the launch.
The spacecraft undergoes a series of rigorous tests that include an examination of all subsystems in the spacecraft and, in the professional language, "health checks", as well as "countdown" tests - tests that examine the various processes that the spacecraft is expected to go through during the launch process in full synchronization with the launcher. In addition, yesterday the procedure for testing the tightness of the propulsion and fuel system was completed, and today the refueling procedure of the spacecraft will begin.
At the same time, the separation ring was assembled on the spacecraft - this is a special adapter that connects the spacecraft to the launcher and during the launch will release the spacecraft to continue its journey independently.
Ido Antavi, CEO of SpaceIL: "The SpaceIL team and the Aerospace Industry successfully completed the phase of testing the spacecraft in preparation for refueling and assembly on the launcher. At the same time, the ground array teams complete the preparations in the control room. We are impatiently waiting for the launch and the challenging journey that awaits the spacecraft before landing on the moon."
Ofer Doron, Director of Space at the Aerospace Industry: "We are all looking forward to the upcoming launch and the start of Israel's journey to the moon. The engineering teams in the US and Israel are working with full vigor on the final necessary preparations and we are proud to take Israel to new regions in space."
More of the topic in Hayadan:
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February 18 Falcon 9 • PSN 6 & SpaceIL Lunar Lander
Launch time: 0158 GMT on the 19th (8:58 pm EST on the 18th)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the PSN 6 communications satellite and SpaceIL's Lunar Lander. Built by SSL and owned by Indonesia's PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara, PSN 6 will provide voice and data communications, broadband Internet, and video distribution throughout the Indonesian archipelago. A privately-funded lunar lander developed by Israel's SpaceIL will ride piggyback on this launch, along with several smaller payloads under a rideshare arrangement to geostationary transfer orbit provided by Spaceflight. Delayed from January and February. 13. [Jan. 28]
This is also the first spacecraft.
Spacecraft - moving between two celestial bodies
She is the first Israeli lander, not the first Israeli spacecraft.
Is there a date for static fire yet?