If you ever wanted to help build a real, live Moon rocket, now’s your chance.

The Moonspike project has launched a Kickstarter campaign to build an actual Moon rocket. The fundraising campaign has gathered $100,000 of a $1 million goal from 770 backers in its first few days online.

Moonspike is a private project to design and construct a fully-fledged three-stage 22 ton, liquid-fueled Moon rocket – similar in design to the Saturn V rocket that took Neil Armstrong to the Moon in 1969.

Moonspike was created by a team of rocket engineers who have both professional training with NASA, and several years of hands-on experience building and flying large rockets with the widely respected Copenhagen Suborbitals open-source space project. The 7 engineers behind the project have already created a preliminary design for the rocket, as well as a detailed feasibility study, which is available to download from the Kickstarter page.

Moonspike co-founder Kristian von Bengtson said: “With enough support, we know we can build this rocket. We want to give the world its first taste of open-access space flight. The backers of Moonspike will have complete access to the team of rocket engineers through blogs, video-chats and interviews. They can ask the team questions, and provide suggestions and even vote on issues that could alter the course of the mission.”

Kickstarter backers can sign up for numerous unique rewards, including:-

Mooncamp, a unique one week resident course where participants can learn about large scale rocketry and get hands-on experience designing and building the actual Moon rocket

The Moonspike Academy, which entitles members to vote on key decisions via a purpose-built smartphone app

Space to send their cherished digital memories to the Moon in special memory vault

Photos of the Earth and the Moon taken from the spacecraft backers helped to build
Behind-the-scenes VIP access during rocket tests and launches

Larger backers will be able to place their logo on the rocket vehicle, name key components such as maneuvering thrusters, or engrave their name on the spacecraft. Other rewards include memorial challenge coins, mission patches, concept art posters by video game designer Carsten Brandt and models of the rocket and the spacecraft.

Moonspike co-founder Chris Larmour commented: “Moonspike is a chance for anybody who ever dreamed of building a spaceship to help create a full-scale Moon rocket, and send it to the Moon. We would like everyone that wanted to be involved in a real-life space mission to pledge their support on Kickstarter, and help us get this project off the ground.”

The Moonspike Kickstarter campaign still has 19 days to run. The Kickstarter page can be accessed directly via http://www.moonspike.com.