UK based Lunar Mission One launched a Kickstarter campaign on November 18, 2014. Their goal is to send an unmanned robotic landing module to the South Pole of the Moon in 2024. This is a previously unexplored region of the Moon, where the group plans to use technology built by leading companies to drill deep below the Moon’s surface – between 20 and 100 meters.
The samples of lunar rock taken during this mission could date back to 4.5 billion years and contain important clues about the relationship between the Earth and the Moon. Exploring the Moon’s South Pole is also an important step in further establishing the possibility of a permanent human base on the Moon. So far the Kickstarter project has raised over £375k of their £600k goal with 20 days left to go.
David Iron, founder of Lunar Mission Ltd., has said:
“It is increasingly difficult to fund space science and exploration of the kind aimed at developing understanding and knowledge … We are introducing a new form of funding, and if it works we’ll have a legacy that shows it’s possible to fund these missions very differently.”
To do so they are offering the public a chance to be a part of this lunar mission on many different levels; not only are backers directly able to fund space exploration but they are also being given a chance to place a hair in a capsule or have something included in a private digital archive (there will also be one available to the public) stored in the hole they drilled on the Moon.
Vouchers for this space are being sold now on Kickstarter for as little as £60. Backers can also receive a membership for the Lunar Missions Club (access to exclusive updates, participation in decisions and project reviews, etc.) and for £3,000 they can have their name inscribed on the lunar landing module. There is also an option for schools to pledge that gets them access to updates, their name on the module, a poster, and interactive learning experiences as well as a few other perks.
This is not the first time an organization has attempted to use crowdfunding for space exploration – though it is probably one of the more successful ones. Currently there is a Canadian project on Indiegogo raising funds for a trip to Mars. The Northern Light Mission has raised almost $7 thousand of its $1.1 million dollar goal with 37 days left of their campaign.
Though the Northern Light Mission started on November 4, 2014 it doesn’t seem to have garnered the same support or momentum as Lunar Mission One, which describes itself as “the most inspirational mission to the Moon since the Apollo landings.” However, it will be another 10 years before we know that for sure.
