British scientists to crowdfund Mission to Moon

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Mission to moon_UK Lunar Mission One

Using Kickstarter, space scientists across Britain to fund their mission to moon over 10 years.

A group of space scientists across universities in Britain and entrepreneurs have together planned to start one of the most ambitious crowdfunding projects till date – their very own mission to moon. The ‘Lunar Mission One’ has been strategised to survive through public donations via Kickstarter over the next decade.

Mission to moon_UK Lunar Mission One

The funds raised for the lunar mission will be used to design, build and launch a spacecraft that will not only land on the moon, but also excavate the natural satellite’s surface. The plan also reportedly includes burying a time capsule that would have the digital details and DNA of those who contributed to the project, along with a record of life on Earth.

Once landed, the project also aims to evaluate the feasibility of a permanent manned base at the lunar South Pole, plans for which can be traced back to the late 1950s in the US when ‘The Lunex Project‘ was by the US Air Force plan to build an underground Air Force base on the moon.

For now, the mission to moon is being backed by British space scientists across universities, former Conservative science minister Ian Taylor, British cosmologist and astrophysicist Lord Martin Rees, who has been the Astronomer Royal since 1995, and UK Parliamentary Space Committee (UKSpace).

The mission idea was kickstarted by David Iron, who is a former Royal Navy Engineering Officer and financial consultant. Iron has experience of 150 technology and space projects, including ‘Skynet’, the country’s military communication satellites project.

At present, ‘Lunar Mission One’ will require an initial sum of £600,000 to begin with, followed by at least £3 billion over the years till at least the launch.

Photo Credits: spacestationinfo.com