Danish architecture studio BIG and technology company Lonestar Data Holdings Inc. have collaborated to create the Freedom Payload, a revolutionary data-storing device destined for the Moon and designed to last indefinitely after arriving. The compact device is the size of a hardback book and weighs 1 kilogram. It will store data from governments, corporations and leading NGOs in space. The Freedom Payload will be carried on a lunar lander to the Moon later this year and will function much like a hard drive, with a capacity of eight terabytes.
Lonestar Data Holdings Inc claims it is the first of its kind in space, marking an unprecedented partnership between space exploration and architectural innovation. The device, 3D printed by BIG, features the silhouettes of NASA astronauts Charles Duke and Nicole Stott, whose profiles will cast changing shadows on the moon throughout the lunar day. Duke’s profile represents the success of NASA’s Apollo programme, while Stott’s symbolises the ongoing Artemis programme, which aims to establish a long-term lunar presence. Seamlessly blending form and function to withstand the harsh lunar environment while promoting sustainable practices in extraterrestrial environments, the Freedom Payload will be fully solar-powered and naturally cooled.
As part of a larger initiative to move humanity’s data storage to the Moon, the Freedom Payload embodies a commitment to advancing human knowledge and protecting civilisation’s data. Scheduled for launch on a NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) mission later this year, it represents a significant step forward in green data storage and lunar infrastructure development.
