Moon Express Wants To Get Close To The Moon, Says They Are Ready With The Fund

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The California based Moon Express is all set to mine the Moon someday. According to the company, they are ready with the fund they need for their first ever lunar trip, scheduled for the end of the year. Till date the company has managed to raise about $20 million in the recent round of financing. However, the total amount raised is around $45 million.

According to The Verge, the money would be used to launch Moon Express's MX-1E lander. It would explore the surface of the Moon as well as take pictures after launching an experimental Electron rocket. Interestingly, the company has received the funding from Founders Firm and Collaborative Fund, the famous software company- Autodesk as well as other private investors.

The Moon Express CEO, Bob Richards had mentioned, "Our goal is to expand Earth's social and economic sphere to the Moon, our largely unexplored eighth continent, and enable a new era of low cost lunar exploration and development for students, scientists, space agencies and commercial interests." Now, the company is one of the leading contenders in the Google Lunar X Prize. This is one of the famous international competition to send the first private spacecraft to the Moon.

As per Daily Mail Online, the company has already managed to receive US government's permission to send its first spacecraft to the Moon. This FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation approved company, has planned to send a giant suitcase sized lander on the Moon's surface.

The two week mission is something the company is eagerly looking for. This spacecraft is also expected to carry some commercial cargo and some science experiment belongings. Apart from these, the spacecraft is also expected to carry cremated human remains and would send back pictures of the Moon to the Earth.Apart from going to the Moon, Moon Express has other plans as well. The company wants to mine the Moon for its resources like the water that they can repurpose to use as rocket fuel.