FAQs

All MoonBox^™ participants will receive the following:

• Moon Capsule reservation to send a personal keepsake on an Astrobotic lunar lander to the Moon
• Container to send your keepsake to Astrobotic
• Prepaid postage to send the container and its contents to Astrobotic for integration on the lunar lander
• Instructions on how to mail the container and its contents to Astrobotic
• Item Declaration Form
• Mission Certificate
• Map of the Moon, showing the landing site
• Quarterly mission updates leading up to launch
• Updates as the mission occurs, including launch, spacecraft deployment, lunar orbit insertion, and landing
• High resolution images and video of the launch
• Images of the Moon Pod on the Moon, which will carry all items sent through MoonBox^™

No. With MoonBox^™ you can send an item to the Moon without having to modify your memento for the space environment. After ordering MoonBox^™, you will receive the MoonBox^™ Kit, which includes a container to mail us your item. Simply place your item into the container, and send the Capsule back to Astrobotic using the prepaid postage included in the MoonBox^™ Kit. Upon receipt at Astrobotic, we will remove the item from the container and place it into the Moon Pod. The Moon Pod is a pressurized container filled with air that protects your item from the vacuum of space. As long as your item fits in your container, we take care of the rest.

Astrobotic is an official partner with NASA on its Lunar CATALYST program. NASA's 50+ years of spaceflight experience and expertise is being leveraged to make possible our commercial lunar delivery service. In addition to the CATALYST program, Astrobotic has been awarded more than a dozen NASA contracts. With that said, NASA does not have any affiliation with MoonBox^™.

By purchasing MoonBox^™, you're supporting a commercial lunar exploration. Our missions open the Moon to scientists, explorers, and other pioneers who will expand human activity in space.

Any non-hazardous inert item that fits within a chosen Moon Capsule volume can be sent to the Moon. Inert means the item uses no electrical power, contains no power source of any kind, and does not send or receive data. If you would like to send something more complex, click here to configure your mission. Disallowed Items: explosives, weapons, sharp objects, energy storage devices, radioactive material, perishables, biological material except teeth and hair, liquids, gels, or aerosols.

Your item will stay on the Moon forever and serve as a time capsule of our present day culture for future generations. Someday, future Moon archeologists could use these time capsules to remember what life was like in our time.

Astrobotic will send photos and videos of the Moon Pod on the Moon to all MoonBox^™ participants. These priceless images can be passed down from generation to generation, commemorating your story on the Moon.

MoonBox^™ is nonrefundable. We work very hard each day to make sure that our spacecraft are reliable and safe but space travel is still risky. We believe the reward of expanding human access to space is well worth that risk.

Yes, as long as all of the items reasonably fit within the selected volume, customers can place more than one item in their Capsule.

The physics and economics of launching vehicles to the Moon are challenging. Most of a launch vehicle's lift capacity is due to the large amounts of fuel it needs to fly. As a result, the size of the Capsules is dictated by the cost of launching to the Moon.

MoonBox^™ is the first time anyone from around the world can send his or her own personal effect all the way to the Moon. Much like other archives from centuries past, the MoonBox^™ Capsule will be an important collection of personal effects from this new era in human exploration.

No. As long as the item fits within the purchased volume, the weight does not matter.

No. You can choose to wait to declare the items you are sending to the Moon. You are required to declare what you are sending when you ship your item to Astrobotic through the MoonBox^™ Kit.

Once Astrobotic's lander is on the Moon, MoonBox^™ will remain attached to the lander in place for decades, if not centuries to come.

The environment on the Moon is harsh. There are extreme temperature variances and solar radiation that reaches the surface. Much like other artifacts from history, some items will age better than others. Regardless of the condition of the items however, all MoonBox^™ participants will have a lasting connection to the Moon for their most important memories. You will be a participant of the first commercial lunar landings in human history.

After purchase, you will receive the MoonBox^™ Kit, which will include a container to mail your item to Astrobotic. This container will serve as a fit check for your item. You can then use the prepaid postage to send the Capsule back to Astrobotic with your item.

Astrobotic is a space logistics company that delivers payloads to the Moon for companies, governments, universities, non-profits and individuals.  Our spacecraft accommodates multiple customers on a single flight, offering unprecedented flexibility at an industry-defining low price.  Astrobotic is a proven NASA contractor, and is also an official partner with NASA on the Lunar CATALYST program. Astrobotic was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA

No. All of the items being sent to the Moon through MoonBox^™ are forever stored in a MoonBox^™ Pod that will be attached to the Astrobotic Lander. The Moon Pod will serve as an invaluable time capsule representing our era for future generations of space travelers. We believe that these items will be considered prized valuables much like artifacts from ancient civilizations are treated today.

MoonBox^™ can be used to send small data storage devices like a micro-SD card filled with data.

While we are unable to send cremated remains through MoonBox^™, you can send cremated remains on our mission to the Moon through our partner organization Elysium.

If your item is deemed unacceptable for flight, Astrobotic will return your item and give you the opportunity to send an item that is acceptable.

Astrobotic will store all items at its headquarters in Pittsburgh until they are integrated into a Moon Pod and sent for integration with the lunar lander.