Astrobotic, a Pittsburgh-based aerospace company, has announced an ambitious plan to send a physical Dogecoin (DOGE) token to the moon.
Astrobotic, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Pittsburgh’s North Side, has emerged as a leader in lunar logistics, specializing in making space missions more feasible and affordable. With a focus on science, exploration, and commerce, the company has positioned itself as a key player in the burgeoning field of space exploration, particularly with its emphasis on lunar missions.
Operating out of a 47,000-square-foot complex, Astrobotic boasts the largest private facility in the world dedicated to lunar logistics. This facility serves as a hub for the construction and operation of a range of space technologies, including landers, rovers, and autonomous spacecraft navigation systems. The Astrobotic Mission Control Center, located within this complex, is the nerve center from which payloads are controlled, underscoring the company’s comprehensive approach to space missions.
Scheduled for 23 December 2023, the mission will utilize the DHL Moonbox service aboard United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur Rocket. This initiative, funded by the Dogecoin community back in 2015, represents a significant milestone for the cryptocurrency, which started as a meme-inspired digital asset.
In a parallel development, the mission will also transport a physical Bitcoin token. This part of the payload is an initiative by the cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX, which they announced back in May. Adding to the crypto-centric nature of the mission, a copy of the Genesis Block, the very first block of Bitcoin (BTC) to be mined, will be included. This inclusion is commissioned by Bitcoin Magazine, further cementing the mission’s status as a landmark event in the history of cryptocurrency.
According to a report by CoinDesk, Dogecoin’s journey to the moon isn’t a new concept. In 2022, there was a plan for a SpaceX mission, entirely funded by DOGE tokens, to send the cryptocurrency to the lunar surface. This mission was commissioned by the Canadian company Geometric Energy Corp., which proudly announced it as the first-ever commercial lunar payload to be fully financed with Dogecoin. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the mission faced a postponement and is now rescheduled for a January 2024 launch.
Dogecoin is trading at around $0.0867, up 6.14% in the past 24-hour period.
Featured Image via Astrobotic
