Pre Launch Status (Apr 2010)

COM = Cross on the Moon; We, like most everyone in the US filed our Federal and State tax forms before April 15th. COM will be one year old this July so filing was a first for us. After 283 days and 244 pages of correspondence in 14 separate transmissions, the US IRS Federal Tax exemption agent still has our application under her review.

We are not discouraged and will keep moving forward by posting articles, videos, and links within our charter. To that end, COM revised its by-laws to promote global theological discussions. Placing a cross on the moon is one implementation of such a mission. Many of our postings have increased in technical material about space travel, specifically plans to return to the moon.

The US budget encourages private companies to pick up the missions that the Space Shuttle had. There are only three more Shuttle flights before the program ends. However we expect to see more news about private space planes and advanced space robots. Robonaut-2 is an example where the upper body of a human has been mechanically created with fine granular movements in its fingers. Robonaut-2 is a partnership between NASA and GM. That is, government and industry sharing the costs. More information can be viewed in the video here:

R2 –> Space Station

We need to hear from you in emails or by posting on the site. “Promoting global theological discussions” begin with asyncronous messaging like this one. We will continue to move forward so that the symbol of the cross will be broadcasted from the moon. The technology is there but comes at a cost. In perspective, the finances to put a cross on the moon will be much less than airing a single commercial during America’s Super Bowl. However the cross will speak to more people and outlast generations beyond the atheletic shoe or popular energy drink you see on TV for 30 seconds.

If you have an opinion, please speak your mind below.

In Christ,

M.N.Clark, President

Cross on the Moon

Astrobotic and CMU to the Moon in 2012

This video tells a story of one team’s plan to visit the moon in late 2012 near the sea of tranquility where Apollo 11 landed.

Humanoid Robot to be Launched Sep 2010

NASA and GM have teamed to make the next generation of robot work side by side humans in space. Robonaut-2 or just R2 will be sent to the Space Station this September 16th. Story is here: R2 goes to Space Station

Pre Launch Status (Mar 2010)

COM = Cross on the Moon;

I am a few days behind on posting this status for March. Back in February the outlook for US Federal tax exempt status was poor. The IRS agent was denying our application filed in July 2009. I am pleased to say the future looks brighter in March. The agent has reopened our case, partly based on the activities we have performed and also because of a minor change to our by-laws. In essence we were stating an implementation and not a purpose. Additionally I believe your thoughts and prayers intervened in a positive way.

The hard numbers for COM to date are 500 in its e-mail database and $1400 in its checking account. No donations were received this month. COM’s monthly expenses are extremely low since we are an all volunteer organization. After initial start up costs, the primary recurring costs are maintaining COM’s web site service, replying to the IRS, and connecting our supporters with e-news. COM’s Board of Directors feel strongly about channeling the maximum amount of donation dollars to the mission.

This is probably a good time to summarize why we are asking for donations. First we believe in having a personal relationship with God. Placing a cross on the moon will encourage theological dialogs. Already discussions have begun, mostly on confused atheist web sites. That’s ok. Our God is the creator of the Universe. The more we study the person and the works of Jesus, the stronger our faith becomes. The donations are needed to send the cross to the moon. Several companies are testing components so they can be the first to claim the Google Lunar X Prize, a 501 C-3 philanthropic organization. We need donations in preparation for sending these companies an RFQ (request for quote). If our resources are enough, we will place a physical cross on the moon. Obviously the size of the cross would have significant restrictions. A lower cost option might be to place a cross decal on the rover. For dscussion on this approach, read COM April Post .

Mahatma Gandhi was a great believer in Christ but gave these sobering words: “I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today”.

On this eve of Resurrection Day (Easter) allow me a moment to reflect. No one should judge others in their commitment to God. Every one of us has sinned. Instead we should be looking inward to see if we pass the tests of faith as revealed in scripture. We need reminders of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice and love for us. We need fellowship to help grow our faith. The symbol of the cross has performed well for thousands of years as our reminder. It will persist. But we are not absolved of our sins because we simply wear the cross on a chain or raise it high on our walls, buildings, and yes, even the moon. We are absolved because Jesus took our sins and died for us. He came back from the dead to show us our Heavenly Father is master even over death. Placing a cross on the moon will not prepare a place for us in heaven. It will however remind us of God’s sacrifice and everlasting love. It will encourage us to look inward in preparation for eternity.

Your Servant,

M.N. Clark,

President, Cross on the Moon

Should We Advertise for Christ?

Florida Space Coast- Apr 1, 2010: 

Every day we are slammed with requests to buy this or subscribe to that. Billboards appeal to our sexual desires, our food choices, changing our hair color, loosing weight, or appealing to our compassion. While driving to work, radio commercials share the ride with true content only a small percentage of our travel time. Television is no better. Commercials have higher volume than the programs we tuned in to watch. We are shouted at, emailed to, seduced and frightened into giving up our attention and often our values to get the “deal”.

This constant barrage of requests is directed at all age groups. Peer pressure to own THAT car or be seen wearing THOSE shoes is real. The requests are overt. They are on cereal boxes, sides of buses, on park benches and in Internet searches. Children are manipulated to ask for the popular toy or movie relics. Sport teams hawk shirts, hats, and even underwear. It takes significant effort to avoid advertisements on a minute to minute basis.

How can we put God first in this cacophony of worldly requests?  With so many asking for our attention, reflecting on the importance of God in our lives seems reserved to the time we spend in houses of worship. One answer of putting God more into our lives is to reserve time each morning and evening to thank Him for what He does for us each day. The moment we first wake and the seconds before we sleep are wonderful commercial free times to have conversations with God.

So what has this posting have to do with Cross on the Moon? The answer is in the belief that corporate advertisements will not stop. Sponsorships for big projects will always be needed. Building private spaceships to reach the moon and perform work there will require investors. Advertising helps pay for the mission when tax-funded programs fade away.

Private corporations will place a mobile machine on the moon before the end of 2014. One task the small rover has will be to travel the length of 5 football fields or more. The rover has to broadcast to the earth in high definition television. It will be a global event, complete with advertising campaigns before, during, and after the machine crawls or hops its way across the lunar surface. Advertising will help offset the mission costs. The unmanned event on the moon will be hard for the public to ignore. Many will say it will be historic because it will be a moon landing accomplished by private enterprise, not by a government. As always, financial support of risky projects is difficult but even more so when done privately. Still, sponsors of the successful moon mission have an incredible opportunity for a global audience.

The total cost for the mission will be over $100 million. We know this from past lunar missions. There are a lot of technical risks but over 30 teams have entered the competition. Google along with the X Prize Foundation, a non-profit charity has offered a $30 million incentive to the first privately funded team to accomplish their mission. They are offering a prize as a catalyst, in the same spirit as sponsoring the crossing of the Atlantic by powered flight that Charles Lindberg won. When he landed in Paris, few people imagined the business that air travel is today. Many entrepreneurs believe the moon can sustain future industries. For the companies that take a risk, one reward is advertising their logos while the rover has power to broadcast.

In the Google X Prize requirements, the lunar rover must look at itself at one point in the mission and broadcast by television the Google Lunar X logo applied to its chassis. Other sponsor logos can surround Google’s logo but center attention belongs to Google.

Cross on the Moon believes a simple cross decal should be on the chassis too. It will unfortunately be nestled with logos of industry giants and brands that want your patronage along with a host of others trying to get your attention. But the Christian cross will be a statement to the billions watching from earth that although mankind applies science and technologies to reach for the stars, we take our passion for Christ with us.

Your Christian decal will not be the largest or the flashiest design on the lunar rover. It won’t have the best placement in the sponsor area. But the symbol of the cross represents eternal life to billions on earth. Without the symbol of faith, we again become overwhelmed by worldly messages and forget who made all things possible.  

Let’s not be awed by graphics of corporate sponsors the days when the rover broadcasts from the moon. Instead, we can quietly seek out the plain cross symbol and recognize it for what it means on earth and in your hearts. Understand that it is through faith that all great works of man are done. The men and women who design the rockets, assemble the rover, and guide it on its mission have relationships with God. They attend church, pray regularly, and make moral decisions and raise families based on the person and works of Jesus Christ. The machine that goes to the moon and the rover that travels on its surface will be a brief extension of us. Faith is an integral part of our being human.

Any machine man places on the moon will eventually loose power and stop broadcasting. It will be forgotten in time. No one will see the machine from earth, even with a powerful telescope. However, the rover that goes to the moon will far outlast any man-made artifact on earth, even the Egyptian pyramids. Therefore, we think it is fitting that such a persistent object, destined to be viewed by billions, be graced with our connection to Jesus.