Danish crowdfunding bid to send a rocket to the Moon

Help build the world’s first crowdfunded Moon rocket by financing another space adventure of Kristian von Bengtson

Danish space architect Kristian von Bengtson is planning to build a rocket that will deliver your pictures and videos to the Moon, magazine Videnskab reports .

First though, you need to support his ‘Moon Spike’ project via Kickstarter and help von Bengtson reach his 6 million kroner target – the operation costs needed to cover the first year of the five-year project.

If successful, von Bengtson and his team of rocket engineers hope to launch the 22-tonne, 23.4-metre rocket into space in around 2020.

An engineering adventure
“This is an engineering adventure like my previous projects. It is about doing something that is theoretically not impossible but very difficult,” von Bengtson told Videnskab.

Von Bengtson has previously worked for both the European Space Agency and for NASA. He has also been involved in the Dutch Mars One project that aims to put a colony on Mars.

However, he is probably best known for his work on his amateur project Copenhagen Suborbitals, for which he tried to build a manned space rocket – a project that included a few test-launches but ultimately failed.

Produced in Copenhagen
The ‘Moon Spike’ project is regulated by the UK Space Agency, but the development and production of the space rocket will take place in Copenhagen, which suggests the launch could take place somewhere in Denmark.

When finished, the rocket will travel to the Moon where it will deposit a small container with pictures, videos and other data from those who choose to support the project financially.