April 7, 2019
SpaceIL signs contract to launch its spacecraft to the moon. Photo: courtesy
On October 7, SpaceIL becomes the first Google Lunar X Prize team to secure a contract to launch its spacecraft to the moon. The deal was signed with American company SpaceX to use one of its Falcon 9 rockets for the launch. At this point, only 16 of the original 34 teams are still vying for the prize.