In 2017, DHL announced an ambitious new program called Moonbox in partnership with space technology company Astrobotic. The goal was to give people around the world the chance to send personal mementos and keepsakes to the Moon aboard upcoming Astrobotic missions. Now, seven years later, the first DHL Moonbox has launched aboard the Peregrine Mission One spacecraft.

Origins of the Program

The DHL Moonbox program was first conceived as a way to expand DHL’s delivery reach beyond planet Earth. As the world’s largest logistics provider delivering to over 220 countries, DHL saw the Moon as the next frontier. Additionally, with growing interest in renewed lunar exploration and Astrobotic’s planned missions, the timing was perfect for DHL to pioneer a new era of “lunar logistics”.

The basic premise of Moonbox is that DHL would offer people the chance to pay to send small personal items to the Moon inside a specially designed capsule. The capsules would then launch aboard future Astrobotic missions. In July 2017 when the program was announced, DHL opened reservations for the first Moonbox on Astrobotic’s inaugural Peregrine Mission One.

Launch of Peregrine Mission One

On January 8th, 2024, the Peregrine Mission One spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral aboard a Vulcan Centaur rocket. Onboard was the first DHL Moonbox carrying 28 capsules of mementos from people in six countries including the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany, Nepal, and Belgium. Tragically, shortly after launch the spacecraft experienced technical issues that used up too much fuel. This meant Peregrine could no longer attempt the soft landing on the Moon as originally planned. However, Astrobotic stabilized Peregrine into a long-duration test flight to collect data. So while the mementos will not reach the lunar surface today, the DHL Moonbox is still making history on this mission.

Payloads Inside the DHL Moonbox

The 28 capsules inside the initial DHL Moonbox contain a wide variety of special mementos and messages from around the world. Several capsules carry national pride items from participating countries – a tiny Canadian flag, original Belgian moon stamp, and British 5 pound coin. Others contain cultural artifacts like a tiny book of Nepali poems and fragments from Mount Everest. There are also many personal touches like lockets of hair, symbolic rings, and family photos. Plus a letter from Richard Garriott, the first private astronaut, and even the cremated remains of a dog.

One whole Moonbox capsule houses a “Lunar Codex” – a 30cm etched nickel disc containing a linguistic time capsule of over 60,000 pages of information on over 7,000 languages. This massive archive will preserve invaluable cultural knowledge for future generations.

Current Status of Moonbox Program

While the first DHL Moonbox did not achieve its ultimate destination this time, the program continues forward. Astrobotic is still accepting orders for future Moonbox capsules aboard upcoming missions. The prices range from $460 USD for a small capsule up to $25,800 USD for an entire large Moonbox reserved for an individual.

As of January 2024, Astrobotic still plans to continue commercial lunar lander missions. Once the company can achieve first successful landing and delivery, it will be a monumental milestone. Not only will Astrobotic be the first American company to accomplish this goal, but DHL Moonboxes could officially become the first commercial payload service to deliver customer mementos to the lunar surface.

Impact and Legacy

Regardless of the outcome with Peregrine, the DHL Moonbox program has already helped open the Moon to new possibilities. For many people, knowing their personal artifacts launched aboard the spacecraft created a meaningful connection with the mission. The public response with over 100,000 people submitting photos and buying reservations indicates strong enthusiasm. In the future, this early symbolic access could inspire even greater commercialization of lunar activities.

Additionally, Astrobotic continues pioneering lunar transportation capabilities across the industry. The company’s innovations around spacecraft design, flight systems, precision landing, and payload delivery will influence lunar surface access for years to come. Just as with early postal airmail flights in the 1920s, these initial attempts blaze a trail for reliable routes to come.

Someday the DHL Moonbox could be remembered in history books as the “Kitty Hawk” of the lunar logistics industry. While the first capsule did not stick the landing in 2024, the program kicked off an exciting new era of connecting Earth with the Moon.