SpaceIL

SpaceIL is an Israeli nonprofit organization founded in 2011 to compete in the Google Lunar X Prize. In April 2019, SpaceIL launched its Beresheet spacecraft aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, making Israel the seventh nation to reach lunar orbit and the first privately funded spacecraft to attempt a Moon landing, though it crashed during descent. The organization began development of Beresheet 2, a dual-lander and orbiter mission, but suspended it in April 2025 after key donors reduced support. SpaceIL continues its educational mission through the SpaceUP school program and nationwide volunteer lectures, having reached over one million students. The organization is based at Tel Aviv University and backed primarily by philanthropic funding totaling over $163 million.