WATCH: Dramatic simulation depicts Israeli spacecraft’s mission to the moon

The engineering teams of SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) say that they have successfully performed the final maneuver necessary ahead of  Thursday’s historic landing of an Israeli spacecraft, Genesis, on the moon.

The maneuver was performed Wednesday evening, Israel time, lowering the spacecraft’s altitude in preparation for the lunar landing, said a SpaceIL statement.

Israel is poised to join only the U.S., Russia, and China in landing a spacecraft on the moon. The landing is expected to take place between 10 and 11 p.m. on Thursday night, Israel time.

Israel Aerospace IndustriesMoon landingSpaceIL