The companies will sell partitioned slots inside a small specially designed container, named Möbius Ark, to private companies and local governments across Japan from May 27. The container will fly to the Moon aboard a lunar lander operated by Tokyo-based startup ispace on a mission scheduled for 2028, JAL, JALUX and ispace said in their joint announcement. The project is officially called the ARGO Trans-Lunar Heritage Project.
The pitch is part marketing, part legacy project. Buyers can pack a slot with regional specialties, signature products or cultural artifacts and have them stored on the lunar surface for what the companies describe as long-term safekeeping. In the joint release, the three firms cited the risk of cultural heritage being lost to climate change, large natural disasters and conflicts, and said the Moon's environment offers a way to preserve such items for future generations, Kyodo News reported.
The project's tagline, "The Ark Relaying for Generations Onward," takes its inspiration from Argo Navis, the constellation that depicts the mythological ship of Jason and the Argonauts.
The Möbius Ark container measures roughly 20 by 20 cm and 10 cm deep, with internal compartments and materials designed to withstand the lunar environment, JAL said. JALUX is developing the container and soliciting contents, while JAL will coordinate with regional partners on what goes inside. ispace will carry the container to the surface and photograph it after landing. Pricing has not been disclosed.
