A time capsule of humanity is being sent to the Moon

The Sanctuary on The Moon project team observes the contents of the "Life & Biology" disc at France's National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (Inria). Image: Courtesy of Benedict Redgrove©

Sanctuary on the Moon is the name of a mission tasked with leaving a time capsule on the Moon, bearing witness to "the very essence of humanity." One day, perhaps, other intelligent life forms may be able to decipher this eternally engraved information.

Spearheaded by engineer Benoît Faiveley, Sanctuary on the Moon is a project to place a time capsule on the Moon, containing information about humanity in the 21st century. Its launch is scheduled for 2027, as part of the US space agency NASA's Artemis mission that will see human astronauts return to the Moon.

The team responsible for developing Sanctuary on the Moon is made up of 11 renowned scientists, engineers, astrophysicists, paleontologists, cosmologists and artists. The project is supported by NASA, as well as by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The project involves engraving 24 sapphire discs with what the experts involved describe as "the very essence of humanity."

The aim of the project is to convey to future generations, and to other potential intelligent life forms, an intelligible message about humanity through universal symbols of our knowledge and culture. The discs will include notions of mathematics, art and science, as well as the human genome. They are currently being engraved at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).

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To withstand the test of time, this time capsule will be placed in a container specially created for the occasion, so as to remain intact for millions of years. The Moon is also a more suitable place than Earth to store such a capsule, since the satellite is not subject to earthquakes, tsunamis or hurricanes that could damage such an archive.