Israel's Moon Lander Crashes

Beeresheet

Israel’s moon lander Beeresheet crashed on the far side of the moon on April 11. Beeresheet, meaning “in the beginning,” was the first attempt by a private enterprise to put a spacecraft on the moon’s surface. (The project was a joint project between the privately-funded SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries.) The craft successfully made the journey to the moon and entered moon orbit, but there was a glitch in the engine as it neared the surface. Morris Khan, president of SpaceIL, announced that a second attempt will be made. Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who had won his re-election bid the day before and was watching the landing attempt from the control room near Tel Aviv, said, “If at first you don’t succeed, you try again.” Beeresheet accomplished great things on a shoe-string budget of about $76 million with a team of less than 50 engineers. This is the cusp of privately-funded space exploration. On the same day as SpaceIL attempted a moon landing, SpaceX’s massive Falcon Heavy rocket made its second successful launch and all three of its boosters successfully landed back on earth to be reused. SpaceX’s are the first space rockets to achieve this goal, thus greatly reducing the cost of launches. This technology is a fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy about the time of the end, that “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Da. 12:4). The day is approaching when Israel will be converted and be the light to the nations that God intends that she be. “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising” (Isaiah 60:1-3).

(Friday Church News Notes, April 19, 2019, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

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