POP TO MOON

MICHAEL Jackson was in advanced talks with a space scientist in a desperate bid to do the moonwalk on the moon before he died, we can reveal.

The singer was obsessed with beating his popstar rivals into space and wanted to top them by actually making it to the moon to do his famous dance move - in a ten-year £1.2 billion project.

But the plan was thwarted after Jacko was arrested and charged with child molestation, spiralling him into a world of depression and drug abuse that meant he was unfit for space travel.

The revelations are made in a documentary airing tonight on ITV1, where Jacko's close friend Uri Geller unveils his private footage of the star.

And, speaking exclusively to the News of the World, Uri also reveals that troubled Jacko's fascination with space and the afterlife meant he believed he would get to see the universe in spirit form if he died before he got the chance to do it alive.

Psychic Uri, who asked Jacko to be the best man when he renewed his wedding vows to wife Hannah in 2001, has released a recorded voicemail message revealing the singer's excitement at being told his dream of rocket travel was possible.

In the message left at 3am one morning Jacko beams: "Uri Geller, it's Michael Jackson calling¿erm when you get this message, please know that I pray we do the moon trip.

"I want to be the first one to do it in the pop world. Now I hear that 'N Sync and all these people are trying to go. I want to be first¿please.

"And let's do hands across England and let's think of some other wonderful things. I love you. Goodbye."

The message was left in 2002 after Uri told Jacko there was a Boeing scientist with links to Nasa, Martin Coeffoletti, who thought the trip could work.

At the time other singers like Lance Bass from boyband 'N Sync had entered the race to get to space.

And Jacko became obsessed with beating them.

Uri, 62, told us: "He wanted to be the first popstar in space so badly. He had to be first.

"He knew it wouldn't only be history-making, it would be history-shattering. Can you imagine¿Michael Jackson doing the moonwalk on the moon?

"It was unbelievable the determination he had. It was a burning desire to walk on the moon.

"It wasn't all he thought about - because he was occupied with his children and don't forget he was a great father - he had many things going on.

"But he had a very tough life, and amidst the turmoil he found peace by helping others and by making these kind of dreams come true. This was like a beauty spot for him.

"It was a secret dream of his that he shared with me. He kept it a secret because it was so far out there.

"With me he was very open about these things - like things you see on movies like the Matrix and Star Wars and things where people go into space.

"Michael was very excited about the prospect of being taken to space. He and I always talked about the possibilities of the mind and body and what mankind can achieve.

"Michael believed in the impossible and so did his fans and so did I.

"It took me awhile to believe that Martin was legit. But when the emails started becoming more technical I realised this could happen.

"Michael started talking about it every time he would call me. He left me that message on my answering machine about it.

"It's such a sweet message. It is so naïve and so real. Michael believed in it and I knew that if he was involved, money was no object.

"You are talking about a few billion dollars. But what is a few billion for Pepsi, or General Motors or General Electric or one of the major companies that would have loved to see their insignia on Michael's space suit and could have sponsored him?

"He once told me over the phone that he is absolutely ready for this, that he would get in shape in no time.

"My astronaut friend Edgar Mitchell - the sixth man to walk on the moon - told me many a time how difficult the training was to go into space. I asked Michael if he was up for it and he said 'are you kidding? A concert is more difficult than a flight to the moon.'

"He was ready to do whatever it took to make his dream come true."

Jacko, whose bedroom walls were plastered with Star Wars posters, was due to meet with aerospace engineer Martin to finalise plans just as he was arrested in 2003 on multiple charges of child molestation relating to his relationship with 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo. After a five-month trial in 2005, Jacko was acquitted of all charges.

But after years of legal turmoil, on top of his other health problems, Jacko's body was left extremely weak- and he never again spoke about flying to the moon.

Uri said: "The trial totally shattered the dream. Everybody knows that the trial was a huge, huge trauma for Michael. That is all I can say."

Uri, famed for his ability to bend spoons with his mind, also said Jacko, who was raised a Jehovah's Witness but later converted to Islam, found solace in their chats about the afterlife.

Uri said: "I don't want to go into the intimate things I spoke to him about - and by intimate I mean the very kind of far-fetched things.

"But he was a very, very open-minded individual who believed that everything could happen in the universe and beyond.

"He and I spoke about life after death. We spoke about Albert Einstein's equation of relativity which effectively means everything in the universe is made from energy and energy cannot be destroyed. He would tell me 'Uri, that means our soul, our spirit, it cannot be destroyed.'

"He believed that life goes on in another realm, another dimension.

"I believe that he is sitting up there with the musical greats like Sinatra and Lennon and Elvis.

"His star is shining brighter than them all. I really believe that in spirit his energy is out there and he will have fulfilled his dream and seen the moon."

Aerospace engineer Martin, who got in touch with Uri about his plan for Jacko, told us how he was prepared to join the singer and approach the Russian government about launching Jacko into space.

It was going to be a three-part process with Jacko first taking a £12 million trip to a space station and then doing a £120 million circum-lunar trip around the moon.

Finally, he would have been launched in a space capsule to land on the moon and perform a low-gravity bouncing version of the moonwalk.

Jacko's costumes would have been leather-clad and included his trademark sparkly glove - just like the ones worn in tribute at his funeral in Los Angeles.

Martin, currently employed as an engineering manager for aircraft giants Boeing, said: "Uri just kept saying Michael has a dream to go to the moon.

"Three people would go - one Russian cosmonaut and two passengers.

"We were going to go to the Russians because we thought they would get it done faster.

"Michael has access to such resources if he wanted to tap into them.

"The moon is a big deal. Lots of people want to go to station. But the moon is a different thing. Everyone who has gone up for a space holiday even to just station so far is very rich.

"We would have needed new hardware for him to land safely. But if anyone had the power to raise the money through sponsorship, doing a concert or whatever, it was Michael. You call up the Kremlin and say 'Michael Jackson wants to go to the moon' and they're going to call back."

But, like the rest of the world, Martin saw the toil the trial had taken on Jacko's body - which we now know contributed, along with excessive cosmetic surgery and other ailments, to his heavy use of painkillers like Demerol, Propofol, Fentanyl and Vicodin, as well as anti-anxieties Xanax and Valium.

Martin said: "You have to be in generally good health to go to space. You have to be in shape enough to ride a rocket¿but 69-year-old guys have ridden in rockets.

"All that being said, you don't get to go to station unless you are clean and sober.

"You aren't going to be allowed to go up there doing some of the medication he was doing.

"You can't have an addiction. You have to have a certain lifestyle."

My Friend Michael Jackson: Uri's Story airs tonight at 8pm on ITV1.

• Blame it on the buggy
• MOVIE OUT BY XMAS
• Katherine Jackson's home agony
• DEATH DOC IN HIDING
• Joe Jackson swears 'I'll sue the lot''
• Masks hid hole in Michael Jackson's nose
• He shared bed with 'third son'
• The Wacko family album
• Video: Watch Bubbles moonwalk
• Nanny fed Jacko drugs
• Hear secret Michael Jackson tapes
• Michael Jackson: I'm a magnet for miracles

This article has 14 comments