Have you ever imagined taking your selfie and send it to the moon to preserve it for posterity? Not just a selfie, you can send your DNA sample too. For a paltry sum of about $90, you can get a personal ‘memory box’ in a time capsule buried beneath the lunar surface.
Lunar Mission One are seeking public donations to raise $1 million in one month to launch the initial stage of the program. A minimum of one British pound can be donated. But those who donate $90 and more would have photographs, messages or videos buried in a hole drilled into the lunar surface. A strand of hair can be submitted to store the donor’s DNA code in a physical space.
The collection of digital memory boxes will probably run to tens of terabytes of data. The cost of the memory boxes depends on the usage. For example, a photograph can range from kilobytes to megabytes. The more space bought, the more expensive will be the memory box. The project is expected to be developed further in the next four to five years. An online portal will be created for the general public to start uploading information to their digital boxes.
Not only that, but People will be able to buy more space and regularly edit information until the very moment before the mission launches, by the time the capsule is sealed. Memory boxes can be bought for self or to be gifted to the near and dear ones. Stringent measures to keep the personal information private will be put in place.
The spacecraft platform will drill down to a depth of at least 20 meters, 10 times more than drilled before. It can go down to 100 meters. The Lunar Mission One Lander will be delivered into space by a medium life launch vehicle such as the SpaceXFalcon9. After landing on the moon, the spacecraft will need extensive equipment to support the objectives of the mission. It will need a drilling system to bore a hole. A jointed robotic arm will also be needed.
Electricity will be delivered on the lunar surface from state-of-the-art solar cells fixed to the external surface of the lander. The solar cells are expected to take around 0.5 – 1kw, which is less than the power consumed by a domestic kettle. The angle of the moon’s rotation will make the drilling task easier.
Memory boxes can be stored but not money boxes. There would be no Swiss Bank branch to store black money or ill-gotten wealth of politicians and scamsters. Moon cannot be polluted at least for now. Two to three generations from now, if humans colonize succesfully the Moon, your grand children can retrieve those memory boxes and feel proud of you.
You just need to send a selfie and a strand of hair. What are you waiting for?
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Well-known international columnist, political analyst and senior journalist Ahmed Mohiuddin Siddiqui’s articles are published across Asia, Africa and Europe. He writes for The Moroccan Times, The Tunis Times, India Tomorrow, KohramNews, The Etemaad Urdu Daily and for newspapers published from Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. You can follow him on Twitter at: @journopolana
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