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Beresheet lunar probe crash leaves biological payload on the Moon
In February 2019, the Beresheet spacecraft, a project by the non-profit SpaceIL in collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), was launched with the goal of becoming the first privately funded mission to land on the Moon.
The mission carried a unique biological payload, including approximately 100 million human cells from 25 individuals and thousands of dehydrated tardigrades, also known as water bears, encapsulated in resin. The inclusion of biological material was a controversial decision due to existing norms regarding sending life forms to other celestial bodies.
On April 11, 2019, the lunar module suffered a critical engine failure, resulting in a crash on the lunar surface. While the spacecraft was destroyed, the biological library remained intact within its protective container, leaving the biological specimens on the Moon.
Entities
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Beresheet lander carried approximately 100 million human cells from 25 different people. www.informacion.es · www.eldia.es · www.elcorreoweb.es
- [● 3 SOURCES] The spacecraft also carried thousands of dehydrated tardigrades. www.informacion.es · www.eldia.es · www.elcorreoweb.es
- [● 3 SOURCES] SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries collaborated on the Beresheet lunar mission. www.informacion.es · www.eldia.es · www.elcorreoweb.es
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Beresheet lunar module crashed on the Moon on April 11, 2019, due to a major engine failure. www.informacion.es · www.eldia.es · www.elcorreoweb.es
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Beresheet mission aimed to be the first privately funded probe to land on the Moon. www.informacion.es · www.eldia.es · www.elcorreoweb.es
- [● 3 SOURCES] The biological payload survived the crash intact. www.informacion.es · www.eldia.es · www.elcorreoweb.es