---
title: "Israel’s Moon Lander Just Got Photobombed by the Earth"
description: "Israel's moon lander Beresheet just snapped and showed off an impressive selfie. But what it didn't realize: planet Earth totally ruined its background."
date: "2019-03-05"
modified: "2019-03-05"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spaceil-moon-lander-beresheet-earth-picture"
categories:
  - "Astronomy"
  - "Moon"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "lunar lander"
  - "spaceil"
  - "SpaceX"
  - "the digest"
---

# Israel’s Moon Lander Just Got Photobombed by the Earth

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/spaceil-moon-lander-beresheet-earth-picture.png>)
*\<em\>Image: SpaceIL\</em\>*

## Earth Selfie

Israel's lunar lander Beresheet just snapped an impressive selfie — with a distant planet Earth looming in the background.

SpaceIL, the private Israeli space company that [launched the lander last week](<https://futurism.com/first-lunar-lander-spaceil-spacex-launch>), revealed the photo on Twitter this morning. The picture was taken 23,363 miles (37,600 km) from Earth.

https://twitter.com/TeamSpaceIL/status/1102903109020536833

## Moon Lander

Beresheet [launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9](<https://futurism.com/first-lunar-lander-spaceil-spacex-launch>) rocket on Feb. 21 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, marking the first time a private lunar spacecraft has ever launched from Earth.

Currently Beresheet is slowly orbiting the Earth, making small adjustments to its trajectory to push it farther towards the Moon's gravitational pull.

## Computer Reset

A serious glitch concerning the lander's sensitive "star tracker" navigation system discovered [last week](<https://futurism.com/israeli-moon-lander-hits-a-serious-glitch>) had the SpaceIL team worried, but the spacecraft's main engines [activated as expected](<https://twitter.com/TeamSpaceIL/status/1101222662444072973>) days later. A subsequent unexpected computer reset was also found to be caused by [cosmic radiation](<https://www.space.com/israel-moon-lander-beresheet-engine-firing.html>).

If all goes well, Beresheet will land on the Moon around April 11.

**READ MORE:** [Israeli Moon Lander Snaps Epic Space Selfie with a Full Earth](<https://www.space.com/israel-moon-lander-earth-selfie.html>) \[*Space.com*\]

**More on Beresheet:** *[Israeli Moon Lander Hits Serious Glitch in Orbit](<https://futurism.com/israeli-moon-lander-hits-a-serious-glitch>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)