Space currency named 'quids'
Updated on 04 October 2007
A foreign exchange specialist has unveiled the world's first currency for use in space.
Travelex worked with a team of scientists from the National Space Centre and the University of Leicester to design a currency that could withstand the stresses of space travel and the extreme environment found in the orbit around Earth.
The group has dubbed the money Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination or Quids for short.
Professor George Fraser, of the University of Leicester, said: "None of the existing payment systems we use on Earth, like cash, credit or debit cards, could be used in space for a variety of different reasons.
"Anything with sharp edges, like coins, would be a risk to astronauts while the chips and magnetic strips used in our cards on earth would be damaged beyond repair by cosmic radiation.
"What's more, because of the distances involved - it is more than 230,000 miles from the Earth to the moon - chip and pin technology is also out of the question."
He said they had needed to completely rethink the design of the currency, from the materials used to the payment mechanisms.
The currency will be made out of the same substance that provides the Teflon coating of non-stick pans. This material is widely used by space agencies because it can resist high temperatures and corrosive materials, and will not emit any dangerous chemicals into space tourists' environment.
Quids will be circular disks, with no sharp edges that could hurt people or damage equipment if they accidentally float free in zero gravity. Each one will contain a picture of the eight planets in the solar system orbiting the sun, with each planet carrying a number, like the serial number on notes, to give the currency a unique code so that it can be tracked and to help prevent counterfeits.
There will be different sizes and colours to denote the various denominations, which will range from one to 10. Travelex said the money would be available according to demand, with one Quid costing £6.25 at current exchange rates.
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