SpaceX receives US government approval to launch Doge-1 lunar mission
The US government has given the green light for SpaceX's Doge-1 lunar mission, which is funded by the Dogecoin (DOGE) cryptocurrency and is in the final stages of preparation for launch. This step brings the launch of the DOGE-1 mission closer to reality.
Geometric Energy Corporation, a space technology company, is currently developing the DOGE-1 satellite, which will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It will be equipped with a miniature screen that will display advertising materials, images and logos broadcast to Earth. DOGE-1 will be a historic exploration mission, paid for entirely with DOGE funds.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk initially announced the launch of DOGE-1 in 2021 as a joint mission with Intuitive Machines and the US space program NASA, but the planned date was postponed to January 2024 due to delays in several stages of preparation.
Before the final launch of the DOGE-1 mission to the Moon, a license must be obtained from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
DOGE-1 is one of two missions related to the Dogecoin cryptocurrency planned for the coming months. In a separate initiative, Dogecoin developers announced the launch of a space payload on a mission from Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic. This launch is scheduled for December 23rd, during which the “physical token” Dogecoin will be able to reach the Moon.
Expectations surrounding DOGE's upcoming lunar mission have caused its price to rise significantly, surpassing $0.08 last week.
At the same time, the number of addresses storing DOGE exceeded 5 million for the first time, indicating the growing popularity of this cryptocurrency and an increase in the number of users transacting with it.