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Lunar Mission One was a proposed international,
crowdfunded, robotic mission to the Moon, led by Lunar Missions Limited in England. They did not obtain $1 billion funding for research, development and launch of a spacecraft, meant to be launched in 2024.
in 2024. The lander would drill below the surface of the Lunar South Pole to a depth of up to 100m, in the hope of accessing
lunar rock up to 4.5 billion years old. The lunar lander would contain scientific instruments to explore the science and
geology
Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...
behind the origins of the Moon and the
Solar System
The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Sola ...
.
After drilling, the module would place a
time capsule
A time capsule is a historic treasure trove, cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians. The preservation of holy ...
into the borehole. This time capsule would contain a public archive, with a record of Earth's biosphere and a history of
human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
civilization
A civilization (also spelled civilisation in British English) is any complex society characterized by the development of state (polity), the state, social stratification, urban area, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyon ...
, and a private archive consisting of millions of
digital memory boxes. Consumers would be able to purchase digital memory boxes, and fill them with digital data such as photos or videos. They would also be able to store their
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...
via a strand of hair. Lunar Missions Limited set the total cost of the mission at £500 million, aiming to raise these funds through global sales of digital memory boxes.
Funding for the initial legal fees
was raised on the international crowd-funding platform,
Kickstarter
Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...
. The fundraising was successfully completed on 17 December 2014, with £672,447 ($1,017,000 approx.) being pledged, exceeding the minimum target of £600,000 ($900,000 approx.).
Management
The Lunar Mission One programme closed down due to
VAT tax issues.
Lunar Mission One was overseen by the Lunar Missions Trust, which was also responsible for the education programme to be developed around Lunar Mission One, primarily focusing on STEM subjects. The Trust was chaired by
Sir Graeme Davies and trustees included
Monica Grady and David Iron. The Trust closed in May 2023.
Lunar Missions Limited was a company chaired by
Ian Taylor, former
UK Minister for Science and Technology. Directors of the company included David Iron and Angela Lamont. The technical advisor for the first stage of the project was
RAL Space. The Trust announced its intent to liquidate Lunar Missions Ltd in 2019.
References
External links
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{{Moon spacecraft
Kickstarter-funded spacecraft
Proposed space probes
Non-profit organisations based in the United Kingdom
Missions to the Moon