Israel's SpaceIL company plans to carry out the Genesis 2 lunar exploration mission.

The Israeli Space Agency (IAI) is the main developer of the Genesis lunar lander, which was developed for the non-profit organization SpaceIL in Israel to participate in the Google Moon competition.

Genesis made its first attempt to land on the lunar surface in April 2019, but the main engine shut down during descent, resulting in the lander crashing. Subsequent analysis revealed that one of the two inertial measurement units shut down during descent, and restarting the unit caused the lander's flight control system to reset, resulting in engine shutdown.

After a period of confusion, SpaceIL chose to continue developing the Genesis 2 mission and let IAI continue developing the spacecraft. Compared to Genesis 1, Genesis 2 has many differences.

SpaceIL came up with a novel idea to land twice. We will develop a lunar orbiter that will carry two small landers.

After the combination is launched, it leaves Earth and enters lunar orbit. The orbiter separates from two landers in lunar orbit, and the two landers land on different parts of the moon; The orbiter continues to perform imaging missions in lunar orbit, and its mission lasts for many years.

The IAI mission design for Genesis 2 began six months ago. The overall design of the orbiter has recently been reviewed, and the entire spacecraft is planned to be developed within three years.

The two landers of Genesis 2 are much smaller than those of Genesis 1 (585kg), and the specific mass has not been disclosed. The total weight of the orbiter and two landers in Genesis 2 is similar to that of Genesis 1. Due to the difference in size, IAI needs to carry out some new designs. With the foundation of Genesis 1 already in place, the entire development process will be smoother. The entire landing process will undergo some changes.

While IAI is designing Genesis 2, SpaceIL is seeking new partners. Potential partners include the United Arab Emirates, which will develop some instruments and equipment on Genesis 2 according to an agreement.

Source: International aviation enthusiasts