Lunar Mission One, a private venture by British engineers and scientists aiming to land a robot on the Moon in the next decade, has reached its target funding on Kickstarter.

The campaign, launched in mid-November, saw over 7,000 people backing the project with an overall investment of more than £650,000 and has been endorsed by a number of high-profile individuals including Brian Cox, Stephen Hawking and Dan Snow.

Proposed by former Royal Navy Engineering Officer and technology consultant David Iron, Lunar Mission One will target an unexplored area of the Moon around its South Pole.

A 20m deep hole will be drilled into the lunar crust to access geological material which hasn’t changed in the past 4.5 billion years and it will provide new and significantly advanced insights into the origins and evolution of the Earth-Moon system.

It will also provide vital data on the practicality of a permanent manned base at the lunar South Pole. The Lunar Mission One team has partnered with RAL Space to build and design the spacecraft. RAL Space has been involved in more than 200 space missions and has supported NASA and European Space Agency missions including Rosetta.

Ian Taylor, Chair of Lunar Missions Ltd, said: "Lunar Mission One has deliberately been launched as an independent venture which is not controlled by government agencies.

This project will be built using public support alongside the skills and expertise of some of the world’s leading scientists, engineers and technologists. Having achieved what we have today, we are celebrating the beginning of a ten-year journey of collaboration, innovation and exploration."

To attract public interest, the mission will leave a billion-year 'time capsule' in the empty borehole with an extensive digital record of life on Earth. In addition, anyone from around the world will be able to reserve space in a digital ‘memory box’ where they can store personal information, including the option of a strand of hair.

Education and inspiration are central to the mission, which aims to inspire a generation to learn more about space, science, engineering and technology through a worldwide programme of educational engagement. Educational partners backing the project include The Institute of Education, the International Space University, Open University and the National Space Academy.