{"id":18082,"date":"2019-04-17T20:49:15","date_gmt":"2019-04-17T12:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/beresheet-bummer-investigation-of-israeli-lunar-landers-crash-points-to-human-factor\/"},"modified":"2019-04-17T20:49:15","modified_gmt":"2019-04-17T12:49:15","slug":"beresheet-bummer-investigation-of-israeli-lunar-landers-crash-points-to-human-factor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/beresheet-bummer-investigation-of-israeli-lunar-landers-crash-points-to-human-factor\/","title":{"rendered":"Beresheet bummer: Investigation of Israeli lunar lander\u2019s crash points to human factor"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Beresheet
Team SpaceIL says this was the last picture taken by the Beresheet lunar lander, at a distance of 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the lunar surface. (SpaceIL Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A manually entered command apparently set off a chain reaction of events that led to last week\u2019s crash of an Israeli-built lunar lander during its attempt to touch down on the moon, the mission\u2019s managers said today.<\/p>\n

Preliminary results of an investigation into the crash indicate that the manual command was entered into the spacecraft\u2019s computer, which caused the main engine to switch off and stay off during the Beresheet lander\u2019s descent.<\/p>\n

The Jerusalem Post reported that problems started with a malfunction in an inertial measurement unit that kept track of the spacecraft\u2019s orientation and motion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was no incident like this since the mission began,\u201d the Post quoted SpaceIL CEO Ido Anteby as saying. \u201cAfter it occurred, an activation command was sent to [the inertial measurement unit], causing a chain of events in which the main engine stopped and was unable to return to continuous operation.\u201d<\/p>\n

All attempts to restart the engine failed. That led to the failure of the nearly $100 million lunar mission, which took its name from the Hebrew words for \u201cIn the Beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

The privately funded SpaceIL team and state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries said that the investigation is continuing, and that final results will be released in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u201dI am proud of SpaceIL\u2019s team of engineers for their wonderful work and dedication, and such cases are an integral part of such a complex and pioneering project,\u201d Israeli billionaire Morris Kahn, SpaceIL\u2019s president and principal backer, said in a news release.\u201d What is important now is to learn the best possible lessons from our mistakes and bravely continue forward. That\u2019s the message we\u2019d like to convey to the people in Israel and the entire Jewish world. This is the spirit of the Beresheet<\/span> project.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the wake of last week\u2019s crash, Kahn declared that he would back a follow-up mission called Beresheet 2.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mission we started, I hope we can complete,\u201d Kahn said in a Hebrew-language video. \u201cThis is my goal. As for my message for all the youngsters \u2014 if it doesn\u2019t work at first, you have to get up again and complete it. And this is what I\u2019m doing.\u201d<\/p>\n