Skip to main content

Israel’s lunar lander just snapped a selfie on its way to the moon

Selfie image from Beresheet, taken 37,600 kilometers (23,400 miles) from Earth SpaceIL

Curiosity and InSight aren’t the only spacefaring crafts snapping selfies — Israel’s Beresheet spacecraft shared an image of itself floating far above the Earth this week. The first privately funded mission to the moon was launched by the Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL at the end of February. It marks Israel’s first venture to the moon as well.

Recommended Videos

Beresheet, a small craft about the size of a washing machine, still has a long way to go on its journey to the moon. It needs to cover a total distance of approximately 384,000 kilometers, or nearly 240,000 miles. For reference, that’s 10 times further than the typical communication satellites orbiting the Earth.

The spacecraft took this image when it was 37,600 kilometers (23,400 miles) from Earth, about 10 percent of the way there, though the craft is still orbiting Earth at this time and it is expected to take about two months to complete its travels from liftoff to destination. It is scheduled to land at the Sea of Serenity on April 11.

The name Beresheet is Hebrew, and it means “Genesis” or “in the beginning.” That’s a fitting title for a craft that Israel hopes will be just the start of its space program as the nation seeks to become just the fourth country to land on the moon, joining the United States, Russia, and China.

The upbeat attitude of the SpaceIL team despite the relatively small size of their county is demonstrated in the plaque that Beresheet is adorned with in its selfie: it reads, “Small country, big dreams.” The plaque also features the Israeli flag and a message in Hebrew: “Am Yisrael Chai,” which means “the nation of Israel lives.”

There were some troubles for the plucky craft this week when it experienced a computer glitch which could have affected its orbit. But it was able to perform an important maneuver on February 28 and now seems to be back on track, with another maneuver scheduled for this week. The plan is for the craft to continue orbiting Earth at greater and greater distances, until it is eventually snagged by lunar gravity and is pulled into orbit around the moon instead.

Georgina Torbet
Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends space writer for six years, covering human space exploration, planetary…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more