The Israeli government will allocate 20 million shekels to finance the Bereshit-2

"The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Ofir Akunis decided to allocate a budget for the project of launching the Israeli Bereshit-2 spacecraft to To the moon in the amount of 20 million shekels," the message says.

The agency noted that the minister held a meeting on Thursday with one of the initiators of the Bereshit-2 project, founder and director of SpaceIL Kafir Demari, who presented the minister with plans for the development of the device. "I consider this project as a national mission. Its results can make a huge contribution to science, innovation and education in Israel. I have decided that funding will be allocated from the budget of the Ministry of Innovation of Science and Technology for 2023 under my leadership for this unique project full of Israeli pride," Akunis said after the meeting.

According to current plans, Bereshit-2 will be launched to the moon in 2025, the ICA noted. It will include two landing modules, each of which will conduct experiments on the Moon's surface, as well as an orbiter that will remain in the Moon's orbit for several years to collect scientific data. The cost of the project was initially estimated at about $ 100 million, half of these funds should be attracted by ICA through international cooperation, the press service said.