The Israeli-built Beresheet moon lander made history when it went into lunar orbitand descended to the surface — and although it didn’t survive its crash landing, it did leave a mark that’s likely to endure for millennia.
Weeks after the April 11 smashup, NASA has released imagery from its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter showing the dark blast site and spray of debris that Beresheet kicked up.
The orbiter was over the horizon when the lander fell to the surface due to a last-minute programming glitch and engine shutdown. But it was in a good position to snap a picture of the crash site on April 22 from a height of 56 miles (90 kilometers).