SpaceIL

SpaceIL is an Israeli nonprofit organization that aims to advance space exploration and science education by attempting to land a privately funded spacecraft on the Moon. It was founded in 2011 by Yariv Bash, Kfir Damari, and Yonatan Winetraub, with significant early support from Morris Kahn, a prominent Israeli entrepreneur and philanthropist. The organization was created to compete in the Google Lunar X Prize, a prize program that offered a cash award for the first privately funded lunar landing and related tasks; the prize ended in 2018 without a winner.

SpaceIL built the lunar lander Beresheet (Genesis), designed to reach the Moon aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Beresheet launched in 2019 and, while it succeeded in reaching lunar orbit and began a landing sequence, it crash-landed on the Moon. The mission carried a digital time capsule—messages and data from people around the world—intended to inspire interest in science and space among the public.

Following Beresheet, SpaceIL continued education and outreach activities and explored the possibility of further Moon missions, including discussions of a Beresheet 2 project with partners such as the Israel Space Agency and industry supporters. As of 2024, SpaceIL remains focused on promoting STEM education in Israel and around the world and preserving a role in the national space portfolio through partnerships and advocacy.