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We have a quick, rather strange question: do you want your “digital memories” to live for eternity on the Moon? If you’re not in the camp that’s worried enough about them being on Facebook, all you need to do is back an ambitious new Kickstarter.
A team of independent rocket engineers have already produced a design for the rocket they’re hoping to send to the Moon. All they need to get it there is $1 million (£660,000), within the next 30 days.
The Moonspike project intends to construct a 22-ton three-stage rocket that will send a small probe into orbit and then on to the Moon. Once there, backers have the chance for their photos, videos and other data to live on the Moon.
Kickstarter backers who support Moonspike will have complete access to the mission team through blogs, video-chats and interviews.
Moonspike chief executive Chris Larmour said: “We’re doing this for the adventure, and we want everyone to be a part of it. With Moonspike, there will be a transparency that hasn’t been experienced in any space mission until now.
“We would like everyone that wants to be involved in a real-life space mission to pledge their support, and literally and figuratively, help us get this project off the ground.”
If the initial crowdfunding effort succeeds, millions more dollars will have to be raised from traditional private sources.
The launch site and date is yet to be determined.
Chief technical officer Kristian von Bengtson, a co-founder of Danish private space travel group Cophenhagen Suborbitals, said: “We believe that with a reasonable amount of funding we can build a reliable, effective launch vehicle and spacecraft, and take a shot at the Moon.”
