Considering that there's little time left, your payload (and business model) has severe constraints. Unless you have something pre-developed and nearly ready to launch (e.g. at a university), aim for something simple. That leaves you mostly with media attention (sponsors), technology demos (e.g. for third parties), paraphernalia/vanity items that wealthy individuals or communities pay for (no remains or religious artifacts please). But please be inventive.
$980k (€800k) [1] for the first kg to the lunar surface, for lunar orbit it's less (ask me in private, it's not published). Expect $50k-500k to develop the payload (depends on what it is and who builds it). There are several open source CubeSat designs and kits that give you an idea.
So whether you have a simple payload/business model or a more sophisticated one (more suitable for a later launch probably), contact me better sooner rather than later. Many details need to be cleared early on.
I think this is probably one of the most viable business models for a "CubeSat" sized payload. If I had a rocket to the moon, that is the first thing I would offer: "mix your human dust with moon dust"
Figures above suggest somewhere in the million dollar mark for a kilo of payload. There are ashes into diamond services, and ballpark figures would be 5 one carat diamonds to a gram or 2500 for half a kilo.
A million dollars split between 2500 is just $400 each.
Obviously very rough figures but it nothing screams outrageous to me. I'd be surprised if you couldn't fill 2500 of those orders.
Only problem I see is that 0.5 carat cremation diamond is $6000 US, and it would be a "waste" of the ashes since they only use a few ounces (~150g) and a human cremated is roughly 5kg.
BUT, if a person is fine with only sending a portion of their loved one to the moon for the super "low price" of $20k, it would only take 75 to break even, but there is room for a WHOLE lot more.
Space burials [1] are a thing. When I investigated this, I found that in Germany the cremation industry is against separating remains, i.e. don't bury a part on Earth and another on the Moon. I'm not aware whether a legal background exists, but at least some might consider it as morally dirty (though I doubt people would really complain over here, but in other cultures people might react stronger). So it depends on your country (culture, jurisdiction) whether it's a viable business case.
A constellation of cube sats orbiting the moon would provide a nice synthetic arepture radio antenna that would be shielded from earth noise. It's a lot more economical than a giant dish on the moon itself.
Not in the industry, but I'd guess in the short term there are two options:
- scientific orgs (NASA, universities, etc); I get they'd love to pay for access to lunar surface. Maybe even some imaging from the dark side of the Moon?
- prospecting companies like Deep Space Industries or Planetary Resources.
I know what people mean when they say "dark side of the moon" but it always bothers me. There is no "dark side" to the moon. The picture that got stuck in my head was seeing the moon transit the earth: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2015/08/21/4296866.ht...
The moon is tidally locked: rotates at the same speed that it resolves around the Earth. Therefore the same side always faces the Earth, modulo liberation.
