SpaceIL is again taking up the project

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, wants his country to place a Bible on the lunar surface during the next attempted moon landing. He spoke about his wish during the middle of his speech at the International Bible Quiz for Youth, an annual event held on Israel’s Independence Day. Netanyahu pledged to blast off a second spacecraft after “Beresheet,” the name of the first aircraft meaning Genesis, crash-landed on the moon on April 11. Subsequent investigations led engineers to believe that gyroscope failure is the cause. Beresheet, manufactured primarily by SpaceIL, carried a digital version of the Bible.

To justify his Bible placement demand, Netanyahu quoted the Bible itself. He uttered a line from the Psalms: ‘When I behold Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast established.” The Israeli PM wants his country to be the fourth country to successfully drop a lander on the moon surface, after the Soviet Union, the United States, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). He expressed confidence that Israel can achieve this within the next couple of years. The Israeli PM noted that although the first moon landing went haywire, the small nation has achieved a lot in this event. He pointed out that only a few countries have sent up spacecraft to circle the moon, and Israel has joined this club.

The Beresheet space program has been prominent during the 71st Independence Day celebrations in Israel. On May 8, Morris Kahn, the SpaceIL chairman, was honored with one of the highest civilian honors in Israel, the torch lighting during Jerusalem’s Independence Day ceremony.

Netanyahu then went rhetorical with his audience, asking them how did Israel do such things? He answered the question himself, pointing out to his audience that Israelis do this via initiative, daring, and determination. He claimed that the Israeli spirit is sourced from the Bible. He continued in this vein, saying there is absolutely no meaning to the founding of Israel if the Jewish people have not carried with them their faith, tradition, and a yearning for the homeland. The company SpaceIL is a nonprofit which launched and championed the initiative. Kahn announced he would contribute again to fund Israel’s second attempt to land on the lunar surface.

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