Space Micro's Space Communications Electronics on the Way to the Moon Again

San Diego, CA – February 22, 2019

Space Micro is very pleased to be an integral and critical part of the SpaceIL Israeli lunar mission. The lander is called Beresheet, the Hebrew word for “Genesis,” and it is the creation of an Israeli nonprofit called SpaceIL.

Yesterday, SpaceX launched their Falcon 9 rocket from Florida, carrying a payload it has never transported before: a spacecraft bound for the Moon. One of the three payloads on the rocket, this is an Israeli-made lander that will travel through space over the next two months, then try to land on the lunar surface. If the touchdown is a success, it will be the first time that a vehicle made with mostly private money has ever landed on the Moon or any other planetary body.

Space Micro’s high data rate S-Band SDR transceiver is sending critical data back to ground stations, after collecting images and processing on board SpaceIL's Beresheet spacecraft. The SDR for SpaceIL's lunar mission is a modification of Space Micro’s standard product, which features radiation tolerance, high reliability, low SWaP, and, in this case, added ranging.

“Mission success is always our priority at Space Micro,” said Space Micro’s CEO, Dave Strobel. “Working with our customer, SpaceIL, to ensure their bus and spacecraft operates with our S-Band software defined radio (SDR) system speaks to our core value of teamwork.”

“Our spacecraft electronics now are going to the Moon for the second time, with the first being the highly successful NASA LADEE mission which also flew our S-band Software Defined Radio.”