DHL is Now Sending Your Selfies to the Moon

Summary

DHL is launching a unique service to send personal items, including selfies, to the moon in partnership with Astrobotic's lunar mission.

Abstract

DHL, in collaboration with Astrobotic, is offering a groundbreaking opportunity for individuals and entities to send various items to the moon. This initiative, set to commence with the Peregrine Lander's mission in July 2021, allows for a diverse range of objects—from scientific instruments to personal mementos—to be transported to the lunar surface. The service is part of DHL's "Love You to the Moon and Back" campaign, which enables people to send free digital selfies with messages to their loved ones, immortalizing their affection in space. While the campaign offers a chance to participate in humanity's space exploration, it comes with a significant price tag for sending physical items, with each kilogram costing approximately $1.2 million. This endeavor not only opens up new possibilities for data collection and brand promotion but also allows for a personal and historical legacy on the moon.

Opinions

The service is seen as a way to strengthen the human connection with the moon, expanding upon the initial contact made in 1969.
There is an emphasis on the emotional aspect of the campaign, giving new meaning to the phrase "Love you to the moon and back."
The initiative is recognized as a step towards integrating humanity and the moon, contributing to future civilizations' understanding of our era.
The high cost of sending physical items to the moon is acknowledged as a potential barrier for widespread participation, making it an exclusive opportunity.
The campaign is viewed as a historic event, inviting participants to be part of humanity's first commercial missions to the lunar surface.

Blast Fly Me to the Moon, because things are about to get real

The world first came into contact with the moon in 1969. But despite Neil Armstrong’s landmark arrival, we have not had the chance to develop our link with the planet. Not yet.

DHL, one of the world’s leading shipping companies, recently announced that they are stepping up their mailing services to another level. With the Peregrine Lander’s upcoming mission in July 2021, they have begun taking in applications from people who wish to send the first artifacts of humanity to the moon. Yes, the moon!

From scientific instruments to artistic and educational materials, DHL’s partnership with Astrobotic’s lunar mission is, for the first time, allowing humans to send any object they desire to be immortalized.

When you access their website, you will come across a variety of categories of items to choose from. Catering to governments and businesses to individuals, DHL aims to transport items for purposes of brand promotion and data collection to the simple wish of sending a piece of a person’s life to the moon’s surface.

Posting Selfies

Ever heard of the phrase “Love you to the moon and back”? Well, DHL is giving it a whole new meaning. Their new campaign, Love You to the Moon and Back, is quite literally aimed at allowing people to show their love for someone special, whether it be their romantic partner, friend, child, parent or anyone close to their hearts.

The best thing about this type of shipment is, it’s completely free. You simply take a picture of you and your loved one, upload it on their website alongside a small message, and it will be added to the pile of photos scheduled to be shipped by the Peregrine Lander 384,400 km across the stars.

Upon receiving your selfie, the company even mentions that they’re going to add it onto a postcard and apply a custom Moon postage stamp, placing it in a special spacecraft before it is set to head for its destination.

What’s the Catch?

Returning to the general mission of DHL and Astrobotic, items being selected to travel to the moon’s surface are guaranteed to be tracked by regular high-resolution images that will be sent to the individual senders. Placed in a container known as a MoonBox™, each object is said to be taking up permanent residence on the moon.

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Well… kind of. There is only one setback for people interested in sending a package that will form a part of the moon forever, and that is the price that comes along with it. With every kilogram worth of goods being shipped, a staggering 1.2 million dollars is expected to fill in the cost.

Engraved in the Future

Whether it be sending research equipment, an SD card, or a personalized note to your loved one, the concept of planting a seed of your life into the moon and having it stored for generations to come, indicates that you’re taking part in humanity’s first ever commercial missions to the lunar surface.

Different people will receive the idea in varied ways, but I believe there is a reality that cannot be doubted. A reality which involves making our name visible for generations to come, helping future civilizations identify our era as curiously as we explore our own preceding ages, and participating in the next step towards integrating humanity and the moon.

As Frank Sinatra once put it:

“Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars. Let me see what spring is like on a, Jupiter and Mars.”

Angelina Der Arakelian