NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) took the photos as it passed over the landing site on April 22, 11 days after the crash, from an altitude of 56 miles (90 km) above the surface.
Yes, we scratched the Moon alright!
— Yoav Landsman 🚀🌓 (@MasaCritit) 15 мая 2019 г.
Thank you @LRO_NASA team for the images.#Beresheet @TeamSpaceIL
source: https://t.co/QU240pCfKv pic.twitter.com/UARF4vkZ7A
The images show that the lander left a dark, 10-meter-long smudge across the Moon where it hit and then disintegrated. However, the LRO could not detect whether Beresheet formed a surface crater on impact.
READ MORE: NASA Reveals PHOTOS of Martian Moon Looking Like Candy
The crash occurred due to an errant command that was entered into the lander’s computer, which started a chain reaction that ended with the spacecraft’s main engine shutting down too early. As a result, the lander couldn’t slow down enough during its descent to the surface and broke apart on impact.
The results of the full investigation into the crash are expected to be published by SpaceIL later in May.
