The UK is home to a lot of things, but now they’re also home to a brand-new way of thinking to fund space exploration and future space projects. Lunar Mission One is the name of the project that aims to completely revolutionize the way space exploration happens, how it’s funded, and what the physical rewards are here on Earth.
The goal of the project, as it sits on Kickstarter is to reach £500 million in terms of public donations. Those who donate will have the opportunity to have a time capsule buried on the surface of the moon, containing photos, text, and their DNA. This will be singularly one of the most invasive projects, as well as take credit as being one of the most ambitious projects ever set into motion within the space community.
“Anyone in the world will be able to get involved for as little as just a few pounds. Lunar Mission One will make a huge contribution to our understanding of the origins of our planet and the Moon,” according to David Iron, the individual leading the project from the ground upward.
Initially, the team hopes they’ll be able to raise roughly £600,000 in the next four weeks alone. While the goal is lofty and ambitious, it’s what’s necessary to take the project to the next step and continue moving forward with the project. Those individuals who donate will also have the opportunity to send up things like text, pictures, music, videos, and even their own DNA in form of hair – through a combination of physical and digital space that is being reserved. The team claims that the DNA that is sent up could survive for one billion years, and be as close to the pure immortality as ever has been achieved in that regard.
However, even while the plan is to reach space and achieve some great things in terms of what they can scientifically achieve once they land on the Moon – the greater gain is the new method for funding projects like this. Space exploration could in the future see more funding from a “crowd-sourcing” method, rather than a typical – tax infused, and private sector donation method. Funds that aren’t used on this mission will be placed in a “charitable trust” and used on future missions, but that first will require the team to reach their goals initially – which are to their own acknowledgement – lofty.
