SpaceX just launched an Israeli mission toward the moon. If successful, it would be the world's first private lunar landing.

SpaceIL

• On Thursday night, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the first-ever private moon mission.
• SpaceIL, a nonprofit organization based in Israel, designed and built the 1,322-pound lunar lander called "Beresheet," which means "in the beginning" (the first words in the Bible).
• SpaceIL started as a Google Lunar XPrize team and is backed by South African billionaire Morris Kahn.
• If the Beresheet mission survives a weeks-long trip to the lunar surface, it will make Israel the fourth country ever to pull off a moon landing.

SpaceX, the rocket company founded by Elon Musk, just launched the first private lunar lander in history.

Whether or not the mission successfully lands on the moon's surface in about two months, the effort will carry lasting significance to Israel and the country's nascent space industry.

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