Crash landingA self portrait taken during descent showed part of the spacecraft and the moon’s surface about 14 miles away. If successful, Beresheet would have been the first privately built spacecraft to land on the moon. Sea of SerenityBeresheet attempted to land in the Sea of Serenity, on the opposite side of the moon from where China’s Chang’e-4 spacecraft landed in January. A self portrait taken about 23,000 miles from Earth showed Australia visible behind part of the spacecraft. In transitBeresheet made a slow and steady approach to the moon, gradually extending its orbit until it could be captured by the moon’s gravity.

Source: New York Times April 11, 2019 21:33 UTC