At the Information Meeting on Universal Acceptance, held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on May 6, 2024, UNESCO unveiled its collaboration with Barrelhand to transport and safeguard languages and cultural treasures on the lunar surface.
“As our world becomes more connected, joining forces becomes imperative to counter-act the paradoxical trend towards homogenization, which often sidelines non-mainstream languages and digital practices and overlooks the rich tapestry of global cultures and languages. As we navigate through this era of rapid technological changes, collaboration with specialized entities such as MasterWord, Barrelhand and ispace becomes fundamental to our success.”
Tawfik Jelassi, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information
As humanity is entering a new space age, the relevance of space exploration is growing to encompass even more people and industries. In this light, Barrelhand's mission to expand access to space intersects with UNESCO's commitment to preserving cultural heritage.
Barrelhand and UNESCO have co-developed a “Memory Disc” that is incorporating 275 translations of the UNESCO preamble: "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men and women that the defences of peace must be constructed." aimed at raising awareness about the significance to safeguard humanity’s linguistic diversity. Additionally, the Memory Disc showcases cultural treasures from around the world, including paintings by well-known and lesser-known artists, as well as the complete novella "Le Petit Prince" by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
The Memory Disc utilizes NanoFiche technology, enabling the permanent engraving of thousands of pages of information onto a nickel plate the size of a coin. This innovative method ensures the preservation of content for millions of years, even amidst the harsh conditions of space. Unlike other storage methods, nickel-based NanoFiche is degradation-resistant and everlasting, serving as modern day hieroglyphs. Whether exposed to solar flares, magnetic fields or extreme temperatures - nickel's non-oxidizing properties and absence of a half-life make it capable of enduring for millions of years on Earth and beyond.
The mounted configuration of the Memory Disc is 19mm in diameter and scheduled for delivery to the moon by a private Japanese space company at the end of 2024. It is the beginning of an ongoing initiative to safeguard our collective cultural heritage. If successful, this time capsule will last millions of years on the lunar surface, embedding human history for future civilizations to uncover. This mission serves as a starting point for our civilization to unite over our home planet Earth, and consider both the opportunities of an upcoming space age as well as our home, with all the cultural treasures to preserve.
About UNESCO:
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to fostering peace, promoting sustainable development and facilitating intercultural dialogue through education, sciences, culture, and communication and information.
About Barrelhand:
Barrelhand Inc., headquartered in California, USA, is expanding access to the space economy through collaborations with industry leaders, scientists and cultural institutions. As a platform for innovation, Barrelhand welcomes pioneers from various fields to uncover opportunities within the new chapter of space exploration.
