News

Spear of Longinus Crowdfunding Project Now Accepting International Backers

The "Project to Pierce the Moon With the Spear of Longinus" crowdfunding campaign opened an English page for international backers. Backers not residing in Japan can select rewards in the 5,000 and 50,000 yen tiers, including having your name. inscribed on the spear, an Evangelion Unit 01 Set (poster by Ikuto Yamashita, sticker, and blueprint of the lunar payload releasing machine), a Rei Ayanami Set (poster by Hidenori Matsubara, sticker, and blueprint of the lunar payload releasing machine), shirts, and having digital files of your choosing sent to the moon.

The project is open to donations until April 5 at 11:00 p.m. JST. In the case of not meeting the 100 million yen (about US$825,000) goal, the project will not continue, and all backers will have their money refunded. The project has raised 40.39 million yen (about US$339,027) on the crowdfunding website Readyfor.

Hakuto, Japan's first civilian team that aims to send an unmanned lunar expedition, is assisting "Project Longinus" as the only team from Japan competing for the Google Lunar XPRIZE. Project Longinus aims to recreate (with real-world contraints) the scene in the anime where the Evangelion Unit-00 hurls the Spear of Longinus, which eventually lands on the lunar surface.

If the campaign meets its goal, a 240-millimeter (9.4-inch) spear will launch aboard a spacecraft from America between the end of 2015 and the end of 2016. The project is being held in celebration of the 20th anniversary since the broadcasting of the Neon Genesis Evangelion television anime.

Thanks to Ezequiel Gallo for the news tip

[Via Shattered Media]