Sometime this month, if all goes according to plan, an Israeli nonprofit organization called SpaceIL will land an unmanned spacecraft on the surface of the moon. If successful, Israel will become the fourth nation ever to land on the lunar surface. 
The 1,290-pound spacecraft is named Beresheet, which is Hebrew for Genesis, and on Feb. 22 it launched from Cape Canaveral on its journey to the moon.
Getting the massive spacecraft to the launch pad took a little help from Ring Power’s Generator Rental team.
A few months before launch, Brett Jack (Orlando Power Systems Division Rental Sales), received a call from Expeditors International, one of his customers involved in the project. They had been tasked with transporting the spacecraft from Orlando International Airport to Cape Canaveral. To ensure the spacecraft and its delicate internal electronics made it safely to the Launchpad, the specialized shipping containers would need to maintain a set temperature.
Brett invited Expeditors International to our Orlando facility, gave them a tour and showed them the versatile generators that would be used to meet their critical requirements. Confident in Ring Power’s abilities to meet the needs of their project, they gave Brett the green light to get the generators and other equipment ready for the mission.
Because the transport project required Euro power voltage and distribution, Brett enlisted the help of our Entertainment Services division, who are well versed in power requirements from around the globe and carry the necessary distribution for such applications.
On the day of transport, Rob McKee (Orlando PSD Field Service Tech I), assisted by Entertainment Services, oversaw the flawless connection and startup of the generators to the spacecraft. As an added precaution, Rob traveled alongside the convoy as it made its way from Orlando International Airport to Cape Canaveral. The trip went without a hitch and the spacecraft was safely delivered to the launch pad.
Beresheet is equipped with cameras, magnetic sensors and transmitters that will relay data to and from Earth. It will make three orbits around Earth and orbit the moon twice before touching down on the moon near Mare Serenitatis. When it lands, an instrument will measure the moon’s magnetic field to help scientists understand more about its formation.
After accomplishing its mission, the spacecraft will become a permanent monument on the lunar surface as the sun overheats its electronics. SpaceIL engineers hope that the time capsule left inside—containing digital files of the Bible, children’s drawings, Israeli songs, an Israeli flag, and memories of a Holocaust survivor—will help future moonwalkers learn about life on Earth in 2019.