Pepper watch the live broadcast of the SpaceIL spacecraft as it lost contact with Earth in Netanya, Thursday, April 11, 2019. An Israeli spacecraft has failed in its attempt to make history as the first privately funded lunar mission.The SpaceIL spacecraft lost contact with Earth late Thursday, just moments before it was to land on the moon, and scientists declared the mission a failure. (Ariel Schalit/Associated Press)YEHUD, Israel — An Israeli spacecraft crashed into the moon Thursday just moments before touchdown, failing in an ambitious attempt to make history as the first privately funded lunar landing. “We are full of admiration for the wonderful people who brought the spacecraft to the moon,” Rivlin said. The $100 million mission was financed largely by Israeli billionaire Morris Kahn and a handful of other investors.

Source: Washington Post April 11, 2019 19:39 UTC