Israeli technology will be used onboard NASA’s first Moon mission in 50 years, according to the Israel Space Agency.
The deep-space flight via Orion spacecraft in the mission called Artemis I, will last for six weeks and aims at traveling nearly 40,000 miles to the Moon and beyond.
Its crew consists of mannequins named Zohar and Helga. Zohar will wear an AstroRad radiation protection vest developed by the Israeli company StemRad. The vest is meant to protect astronauts from harmful radiation and cosmic rays in space.
“We are honored to be one of the very few countries that have managed to introduce original technology for Artemis I. The fact that the Israeli flag will wave on top of Zohar’s suit in space fills us with pride,” the Israel Space Agency said.
Thousands of monitors will test Zohar’s level of protection during the Matroshka AstroRad Radiation Experiment (MARE). If successful the experiment may lay the foundation for humans’ long-term presence in space. The Israeli technology in turn could be used in future space missions to the Moon and Mars.
Earlier in April, Israeli investor and former fighter pilot Eytan Stibbe became the second Israeli in space participating in the first all-private astronaut team launched to the International Space Station.
The first Israeli in space was Ilan Ramon who perished with six NASA crewmates in the 2003 space shuttle Columbia disaster.