KACHARAGADLA

In this Saturday, July 12, 2014 file photo, a supermoon rises over Jerusalem's Old City and the Dome of the Rock. A supermoon is an occurrence when a full moon is closest to the earth in its orbit. A team of Israeli engineers is the first to advance in an international competition sponsored by Google to send a privately-funded spacecraft to the moon, contest organizers announced Wednesday, Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Dusan Vranic, File) ( Dusan Vranic ) A team of Israeli engineers is the first to advance in an international competition sponsored by Google to send a privately funded spacecraft to the moon, contest organizers announced Wednesday. The Israeli nonprofit group SpaceIL has signed a contract with American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX to launch an unmanned spacecraft into lunar orbit -- the first step a team must take toward landing on the moon and winning the $20 million grand prize. The launch is expected to take place in the second half of 2017.