Sending Religious Texts to the Moon

image by Maria Camila Duque

According to NewScientist, we will be delivering religious texts to the Moon. (See Earth's backup: Sending Religious Texts to the Moon.) Apparently, Israel will be sending a Torah there to join the Bible, which the Apollo 15 mission left behind. (Where did they put it, I wonder?) Next come the I-Ching and the Vedas.

I enjoy this idea because it acknowledges the eventual demise of everything we know, while shamelessly engaging our shared impulse to live on, somehow, in ridiculous, creative ways. I also appreciate good record-keeping. This grand nod toward self-preservation makes the Moon an archive--a library not only for our physical exploits and outmoded space gear, but now for intentionally-placed items.

While this gesture arises from rampant anthropocentrism, it opens the horizon for new ways of engaging the Moon. Other than, say,  removing its "resources," thinking of the Moon in terms of resources, bombing it like a bunch sixth-grade boys (to see if we can take stuff from deeper down!), and leaving our trash there, framed as "relics" for future generations.

The good-natured engineers of team SpaceIL from Israel (the country spearheading the Torah-on-the-Moon project) said they'd like to bring the Moon a plate of hummus. Serving food to the Moon is a different act altogether. There's nothing in it for us, except the warm glow of whimsical giving, which must be a pinnacle of human ingenuity. And while not everyone agrees on the value of religious texts (or even human-preservation), I think we can all agree on food.

Interview with Team SpaceIL

 Kfir Damari, Yariv Bash and Yonatan Winetraub of Team SpaceIL

Team SpaceIL of Israel demonstrates not only the genius of Israeli innovation, but also the positive correlation between having fun and giving back. The nonprofit organization dedicates its efforts to inspiring future generations of scientists by offering lectures at local schools, featuring space-themed activities for kids on their website, and donating their profits to space and science education.

Its technology relies on Israel's expertise in developing small satellites. The team has received big-name backing (both moral and financial) from several institutes, including the Asher Space Research Institute, Tel-Aviv University, and the Israeli Nano-Satellite Association. 

A SpaceIL team member lectures at a local school.

Stay up-to-date with Team SpaceIL on Facebook, or show your support by visiting their store, which sells wonderfully-geeky accessories and apparel for all ages. 

Below, Team SpaceIL manager Oshrat Slama responds to the questions posed by Erin Langley in the article, The Google Lunar XPRIZE, and Offerings for the Moon, which encourages respect and sustainability in space exploration and entrepreneurship.

1. How would you like to show respect for the Moon in a way that gives, rather than takes?

By aiming for the Moon, we are putting it in the center of public interest again, after its exploration was neglected for a long time.

2. If you could bring an offering to the Moon from your culture, what would you choose, and how would you deliver it?

We would bring a nice plate of Humus and some pitta bread, and a CD wrapped as a gift of the late Israeli singer Arik Einstein, to represent the best of Israel’s culture.

3. How can you build respect for the Moon into your design?

We consider taking a scientific experiment onto the SpaceIL spacecraft to the moon, so we could learn more, explore it better, and celebrate the Moon.

4. a) How do you propose, theoretically or actually, to retrieve your craft after it has fulfilled its purpose? b) How can we reduce our impact on current and future space expeditions?

SpaceIL is working to recreate an Apollo effect: we encourage the young kids to be the next generation of scientists and engineers, so they can bring our spacecraft back from the moon in their future Israeli space missions.

5. How can you show respect for the Moon another way, here on Earth or out in space?

As mentioned before, we show respect for the moon by vast educational activity about it.  

Interview with Plan B

Alex Ivanov and Alex Dobrianski of Plan B

"Dreams, only dreams, and nothing more than dreams brought me to the competition," explains Alex Dobrianski of Google Lunar XPRIZE team, Plan B. "Everybody has different tricks up their sleeves. I have two – a design book from [rocket scientist] Boris Chertok, and knowledge of how to apply the software to old ideas."

Privately funded by Adobri Solutions Ltd, the Vancouver-based team is using existing technologies in software, microprocessors, communication, guidance and robotic systems to produce small weight vehicle capable of traveling to and transmitting data to and from the moon's surface. They also intend to deliver a hockey puck to the Moon, in a symbolic face-off. 

Plan B's rover

Plan B exhibits a blend of whimsy, practicality, and generosity. They explain, "[S]oftware today is [the main] part of any invention. [A]ll development in our team is free to share, to remix, to use commercially." Plan B also provides regular video updates of their progress.

Below, Plan B answers questions from Erin Langley's article, The Google Lunar XPRIZE, and Offerings for the Moon, which encourages respect and sustainability in space exploration and entrepreneurship.

1. How would you like to show respect for the Moon in a way that gives, rather than takes?

The attitude control of the craft will have a hockey puck embedded, and the landing will be a symbolic face-off, in respect to the idea that a flying hockey puck is complimentary to the ice.

2. If you could bring an offering to the Moon from your culture, what would you choose, and how would you deliver it?

On the wheels of our rover, there are 32 surfaces; on each can be printed a message. Anybody can deliver his/her message with any offering from any culture to the Moon. The warranty time for the message to stay on the lunar surface (to take into an account the modern state of a space exploration) - one million years. (18 surfaces already reserved for names.)

3. How can you build respect for the Moon into your design?

By offering rare element (for the Moon) - carbon. Why did the Earth capitalize on carbon? And the Moon is safer without it. Needs to share!

4. a) How do you propose, theoretically or actually, to retrieve your craft after it has fulfilled its purpose? b) How can we reduce our impact on current and future space expeditions?

Rover will be made from carbon fiber.
(a) Evaporating the craft/rover into vacuum of space will be done by a cycled metallurgical process.

(b) Building the permanent, compact, fully robotic base on the Lunar surface to manufacture any space-required equipment for a humankind.

5. How can you show respect for the Moon another way, here on Earth or out in space?

On each full moon, the space currency, Lunaro Sterling, will be half price.