Sanctuary on the Moon: the crazy bet to send a backup of humanity to the Moon
A French engineer's initiative aims to send 24 sapphire disks to the Moon to preserve humanity's knowledge, history, and culture.
The 'Sanctuary on the Moon' project, spearheaded by French engineer Benoรฎt Faiveley, envisions sending 24 specialized sapphire disks to the Moon with the goal of safeguarding humanity's collective knowledge and cultural heritage. Each disk, no larger than a human palm and just one millimeter thick, is designed to store an immense amount of information, including the human genome, fundamental laws of physics, and vital natural cycles of life on Earth. The initiative, which is currently in its final phase, hopes to launch these disks aboard a NASA Artemis program spacecraft by 2030.
This ambitious project is driven by a vision of long-term preservation of human achievements and knowledge in the face of potential global disasters or existential threats. By delivering these disks to the Moon, Faiveley hopes to create a form of cultural insurance that transcends temporal and spatial limitations. This initiative not only aims to serve as a backup for humanity's intellectual and cultural legacy but also emphasizes the importance of sustainable and multifaceted preservation methods in an increasingly uncertain world.
As the project progresses towards its crucial launch phase, it highlights the increasing intersection of technology, space exploration, and cultural preservation. The strategic decision to utilize the Moon as a repository of human knowledge reflects a broader recognition of the need to secure our cultural future amid technological advances and global challenges. The project's eventual success may pave the way for further explorations of how we can protect and archive human history in innovative and remarkable ways.