25 ViZionaries: Yonatan Weintraub - No. 19
Meet the entrepreneur inspiring future space scientists.
Yonatan Winetraub, co-founder of SpaceIL, is dedicated to lunar exploration and inspiring future space scientists. He founded the organization with a mission to land Israel’s first spacecraft on the moon, driven by the Google Lunar X Prize Competition. Although it ended without a winner, SpaceIL remained committed to inspiring youth in space and technology.
In February 2019, SpaceIL achieved a historic milestone by launching the Beresheet spacecraft to the moon, making it the first privately funded lunar mission globally. Despite challenges, Beresheet secured Israel’s place as the seventh country to reach the moon, garnering global recognition for the organization.
Winetraub’s contributions extend beyond lunar missions to educational outreach, impacting over 300,000 Israeli children promoting STEM education and scientific exploration.
Winetraub participated in the International Space University Program at NASA Ames, learning how to create colonies on Mars using shelter and water from Martian lava caves.