Time Capsule to Mars™ (TC2M), a project of Explore Mars, will make history by connecting humanity’s shared history with our shared destiny. Carrying digital messages from tens of millions of people from all corners of Earth in the form of text, images, audio and video clips, the state-of-the-art “time capsule” will remain a crucible of today’s human race – to be rediscovered by future colonists of the Red Planet. Time Capsule to Mars™ intends to :
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Enable tens of millions of people from every country on Earth to upload their pictures, short movies, text messages and other digital media to the time capsule.
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Inspire and educate K-12-aged kids worldwide by enabling them to upload their content, track their spacecraft and lander, and participate via personalized Mission Control portals on the Internet.
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Be the first private mission to Mars, the first student-led interplanetary mission, the first use of CubeSats for interplanetary travel, and the first trial of many advanced new technologies.
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Unite Humanity under one mission, so we can travel together to Mars as one race, in the spirit of global cooperation and peace.
Our technical teams are focused on designing, launching, and sending a CubeSat-based spacecraft to Mars — and landing on the surface a time capsule encoded with Humanity’s memories. Spacecraft will:
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Consist of multiple CubeSat Class (0.3m x 0.4m x 0.1m) segments
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Be propelled by revolutionary ion Electrospray propulsion, pioneered by MIT’s Space Propulsion Lab.
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Deploy new technologies like inflatable antennae, deep space Internet communications, and novel interplanetary radiation sensors.
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Be designed and constructed by technical teams from the world’s leading universities and student groups — and mentored by the space industries’ best engineering talent.
The estimated cost of this mission is $25 million, which will cover all costs from design, to launch, to flight communications and vehicle control, to landing on Mars.
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A truly communal effort will make this the largest crowdfunded effort in history.
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Uploads in the Developed World will cost $.99; uploads in the Developing World will be free of charge for basic uploads, thanks to generous sponsorships that will be announced soon. We want everyone on Earth to have an equal chance to participate in this grand planet-wide mission.
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The size, scope, and length of this project will require a continuous and stable flow of funds for which we will also rely on corporate donations.
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To explore opportunities for corporate contributions, please reach out to us here.
This mission will aggressively partner with news, industry, and educational outlets to maximize our reach and enable us to tap into a truly global audience.
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We want to involve all people of Earth — of all ages, backgrounds, and interests — encompassing the entire scope of Humanity and documenting Humankind in the process.
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A focus market for educational engagement will include K-12-aged children from all over the world.
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We will virtually bring them along on the journey — from uploading their picture, tracing its progression through our Solar System, and right up to their landing on Mars.
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