Google Lunar X Prize
Encyclopedia
The Google Lunar X PRIZE, abbreviated GLXP, sometimes referred to as Moon 2.0, is a space competition
organized by the X Prize Foundation
, and sponsored by Google
. It was announced at the Wired Nextfest on 13 September 2007. The challenge calls for privately-funded spaceflight
teams to compete in successfully launching, landing, and then traveling across the surface of the Moon
with a robot
, while also sending back to Earth
specified images and other data.
. Finally, Space Florida
, one of the "Preferred Partners" for the competition has offered an additional US$2 million bonus to teams who launch their mission from the state of Florida.
The Google Lunar X PRIZE expires when all constituent purses have been claimed or at the end of the year 2015 (whichever comes first). To provide an added incentive for teams to complete their missions quickly and thereby create the first vehicles to operate on the surface of the Moon since 1976, the value of the Grand Prize will decrease from US$20 million to US$15 million whenever a government-led mission lands on and explores the lunar surface. This timeframe is in possible competition with China
's plans to land its Chang'e 3
lunar lander/rover on the lunar surface in 2013.
The closing date for the competition was originally announced to be Dec 31, 2012 for the 'Grand Prize' of $20M and 2014 for the reduced prize of $15M
. In 2010 the closing date was extended to Dec 31, 2015.
, the project founder, wrote on the official web page:
The goal of the Google Lunar X Prize is similar to that of the Ansari X Prize
: to inspire a new generation of private investment in hopes of developing more cost-effective technologies and materials to overcome many limitations of space exploration that are currently taken for granted.
, a commercial initiative to land a robotic spacecraft on the Moon as a mix of entertainment, internet, and space. Although it was ultimately unsuccessful, the BlastOff! initiative paved the way for the Google Lunar X Prize.
Initially, NASA
was the planned sponsor and the prize purse was just US$20 million. As NASA is a federal agency of the United States
government, and thus funded by US tax money, the prize would only have been available to teams from the United States. The original intention was to propose the idea to other national space agencies, including the European Space Agency
and the Japanese space agency, in the hope that they would offer similar prize purses.
However, budget setbacks stopped NASA from sponsoring the prize. Peter Diamandis then presented the idea to Larry Page
and Sergey Brin
, co-founders of Google
, at an X Prize Foundation
fundraiser. They agreed to sponsor it, and also to increase the prize purse to US$30 million, allowing for a second place prize, as well as bonus prizes.
, after landing on the lunar surface. It is universally noted such sites are archaeologically and culturally significant, and some have expressed concern that a team attempting to win this heritage bonus might inadvertently damage or destroy such a site, either during the landing phase of the mission, or by piloting a rover around the site. As a result, a very small number of archaeologists are on record calling for the Foundation to cancel the heritage bonus and to ban groups from targeting landing zones within 100 kilometers of previous sites.
In turn, the Foundation has noted that, as part of the competition's educational goals, it hopes these bonuses will foster debate about how to respectfully visit previous lunar landing sites, but that it does not see itself as the appropriate adjudicator of such an internationally relevant and interdisciplinary issue. This response left that small community of detractors unsatisfied. The Foundation points to the historical precedent set by the Apollo 12
mission, which landed nearby the previous Surveyor 3
robotic probe; new scientific results from that heritage visit were still being published in leading papers nearly four decades later.
In January 2011, NASA's Manager for Lunar Commercial Space noted on Twitter
that work was underway to provide insight and guidelines on how lunar heritage sites could be protected while still allowing visitations that will yield critical science.
Many of the Apollo astronauts themselves have already expressed support for the bonus, with Apollo 11
moonwalker Buzz Aldrin
appearing at the Google Lunar X PRIZE's initial announcement and reading a plaque signed by the majority of his fellow surviving Apollo Astronauts.
Shortly after the announcement of the complete roster of teams, an X PRIZE Foundation official noted that a total of thirty one teams entered a partial registration program by filing a "Letter of Intent" to compete; of these, twenty did indeed register or join other registered teams, while eleven ultimately did not register.
Space competition
Space prize redirects here. For the literature prize, see Howard E. Day PrizeA space competition is an offer of a prize to be given to the first competitor who demonstrates a space vehicle, or a space exploration apparatus, which meets a set of pre-established criteria...
organized by the X Prize Foundation
X Prize Foundation
The X PRIZE Foundation is a non-profit organization that designs and manages public competitions intended to encourage technological development that could benefit mankind....
, and sponsored by Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
. It was announced at the Wired Nextfest on 13 September 2007. The challenge calls for privately-funded spaceflight
Private spaceflight
Private spaceflight is flight above Earth altitude conducted by and paid for by an entity other than a government. In the early decades of the Space Age, the government space agencies of the Soviet Union and United States pioneered space technology augmented by collaboration with affiliated design...
teams to compete in successfully launching, landing, and then traveling across the surface of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
with a robot
Robotic spacecraft
A robotic spacecraft is a spacecraft with no humans on board, that is usually under telerobotic control. A robotic spacecraft designed to make scientific research measurements is often called a space probe. Many space missions are more suited to telerobotic rather than crewed operation, due to...
, while also sending back to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
specified images and other data.
Competition summary
The Google Lunar X PRIZE offers a total of US$30 million in prizes to the first privately funded teams to land a robot on the Moon that successfully travels more than 500 metres (1,640 ft) and transmits back high definition images and video. The first team to do so will claim the US$20 million Grand Prize; while the second team to accomplish the same tasks will earn a US$5 million Second Place Prize. Teams can also earn additional money by completing additional tasks beyond the baseline requirements required to win the Grand or Second Place Prize, such as traveling ten times the baseline requirements (greater than 5000 metres (3 mi)), capturing images of the remains of Apollo program hardware or other man-made objects on the Moon, verifying from the lunar surface the recent detection of water ice on the Moon, or surviving a lunar night. Additionally, a US$1 million Diversity Award may be given to teams that make significant strides in promoting ethnic diversity in STEM fieldsSTEM fields
STEM fields is a US Government acronym for the fields of study in the categories of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The acronym is in use regarding access to work visas for immigrants who are skilled in these fields. Maintaining a citizenry that is well versed in the STEM fields...
. Finally, Space Florida
Space Florida
Space Florida is the aerospace economic development agency of the state of Florida. The agency was created by consolidating three existing space entities into a single new organization via the The Space Florida Act, enacted in May 2006 by the Florida Legislature...
, one of the "Preferred Partners" for the competition has offered an additional US$2 million bonus to teams who launch their mission from the state of Florida.
The Google Lunar X PRIZE expires when all constituent purses have been claimed or at the end of the year 2015 (whichever comes first). To provide an added incentive for teams to complete their missions quickly and thereby create the first vehicles to operate on the surface of the Moon since 1976, the value of the Grand Prize will decrease from US$20 million to US$15 million whenever a government-led mission lands on and explores the lunar surface. This timeframe is in possible competition with China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
's plans to land its Chang'e 3
Chang'e 3
Chang'e 3 is a Chinese lunar exploration mission, incorporating a robotic lander and rover. Scheduled for launch in 2013 as part of the second phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, it will be China's first lunar rover, and the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the Moon since the...
lunar lander/rover on the lunar surface in 2013.
The closing date for the competition was originally announced to be Dec 31, 2012 for the 'Grand Prize' of $20M and 2014 for the reduced prize of $15M
. In 2010 the closing date was extended to Dec 31, 2015.
Overview
Peter DiamandisPeter Diamandis
Dr. Peter H. Diamandis , of Greek immigrant parents, is considered a key figure in the development of the personal spaceflight industry, having created many space-related businesses or organizations...
, the project founder, wrote on the official web page:
"It has been many decades since we explored the Moon from the lunar surface, and it could be another 6 - 8 years before any government returns. Even then, it will be at a large expense, and probably with little public involvement."
The goal of the Google Lunar X Prize is similar to that of the Ansari X Prize
Ansari X Prize
The Ansari X Prize was a space competition in which the X Prize Foundation offered a US$10,000,000 prize for the first non-government organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space twice within two weeks...
: to inspire a new generation of private investment in hopes of developing more cost-effective technologies and materials to overcome many limitations of space exploration that are currently taken for granted.
Origin of the prize
Similar to the way in which the Ansari X Prize was formed, the Google Lunar X Prize was created out of a former venture of Peter Diamandis to achieve a similar goal. Dr. Diamandis served as CEO of BlastOff! CorporationBlastOff! Corporation
Blastoff! Corporation was a small aerospace company in Pasadena, California that operated from 1999 to early 2001. Blastoff! was one of dozens of Idealab's incubator companies, created to capitalize on the public interest in space travel and exploration....
, a commercial initiative to land a robotic spacecraft on the Moon as a mix of entertainment, internet, and space. Although it was ultimately unsuccessful, the BlastOff! initiative paved the way for the Google Lunar X Prize.
Initially, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
was the planned sponsor and the prize purse was just US$20 million. As NASA is a federal agency of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government, and thus funded by US tax money, the prize would only have been available to teams from the United States. The original intention was to propose the idea to other national space agencies, including the European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
and the Japanese space agency, in the hope that they would offer similar prize purses.
However, budget setbacks stopped NASA from sponsoring the prize. Peter Diamandis then presented the idea to Larry Page
Larry Page
Lawrence "Larry" Page is an American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur who, with Sergey Brin, is best known as the co-founder of Google. As of April 4, 2011, he is also the chief executive of Google, as announced on January 20, 2011...
and Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin
Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin is a Russian-born American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur who, with Larry Page, co-founded Google, one of the largest internet companies. , his personal wealth is estimated to be $16.7 billion....
, co-founders of Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, at an X Prize Foundation
X Prize Foundation
The X PRIZE Foundation is a non-profit organization that designs and manages public competitions intended to encourage technological development that could benefit mankind....
fundraiser. They agreed to sponsor it, and also to increase the prize purse to US$30 million, allowing for a second place prize, as well as bonus prizes.
Objections to the Heritage Bonus Prizes
Some observers have raised objections to the inclusion of the two "Heritage Bonus Prizes," particularly the Apollo Heritage Bonus Prize, which will award an additional US$4 million to the first group that successfully delivers images and videos of the landing site of one of the Apollo Program landing sites, such as Tranquility BaseTranquility Base
Tranquility Base was the name given by American astronaut Neil Armstrong to the landing site on the moon where the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle made the first moon landing....
, after landing on the lunar surface. It is universally noted such sites are archaeologically and culturally significant, and some have expressed concern that a team attempting to win this heritage bonus might inadvertently damage or destroy such a site, either during the landing phase of the mission, or by piloting a rover around the site. As a result, a very small number of archaeologists are on record calling for the Foundation to cancel the heritage bonus and to ban groups from targeting landing zones within 100 kilometers of previous sites.
In turn, the Foundation has noted that, as part of the competition's educational goals, it hopes these bonuses will foster debate about how to respectfully visit previous lunar landing sites, but that it does not see itself as the appropriate adjudicator of such an internationally relevant and interdisciplinary issue. This response left that small community of detractors unsatisfied. The Foundation points to the historical precedent set by the Apollo 12
Apollo 12
Apollo 12 was the sixth manned flight in the American Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon . It was launched on November 14, 1969 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, four months after Apollo 11. Mission commander Charles "Pete" Conrad and Lunar Module Pilot Alan L...
mission, which landed nearby the previous Surveyor 3
Surveyor 3
Surveyor 3 was the third lander of the American unmanned Surveyor program sent to explore the surface of the Moon. Launched on April 17, 1967, Surveyor 3 landed on April 20, 1967 at the Mare Cognitum portion of the Oceanus Procellarum...
robotic probe; new scientific results from that heritage visit were still being published in leading papers nearly four decades later.
In January 2011, NASA's Manager for Lunar Commercial Space noted on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
that work was underway to provide insight and guidelines on how lunar heritage sites could be protected while still allowing visitations that will yield critical science.
Many of the Apollo astronauts themselves have already expressed support for the bonus, with Apollo 11
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
moonwalker Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin is an American mechanical engineer, retired United States Air Force pilot and astronaut who was the Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing in history...
appearing at the Google Lunar X PRIZE's initial announcement and reading a plaque signed by the majority of his fellow surviving Apollo Astronauts.
Competitors
Registration in the Google Lunar X PRIZE closed as of December 31, 2010. The complete roster of teams was announced on 17 February, 2011. There are 29 officially registered Google Lunar X PRIZE teams involved in the competition (not including teams that have left the competition or merged into other teams):| Team Number | Team Name | Craft Name | Craft Type | Craft Status | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Odyssey Moon Odyssey Moon On December 6, 2007, Odyssey Moon was the first team to register for the Google Lunar X Prize competition, an event that hopes to rekindle the efforts of humans to return to the moon. The competition is referred to as "Moon 2.0" and is composed of other private organizations like Odyssey Moon... |
MoonOne (M-1) | lander | development | |
| 02 | Astrobotic Technology Astrobotic Technology Astrobotic Technology is a privately held seed-stage company formed by Carnegie Mellon professor Red Whittaker and his associates, with the goal of winning the Google Lunar X Prize... |
To be named | lander | development | |
| To be named | rover | development | |||
| 03 | Team Italia | rover | development | ||
| 04 | Next Giant Leap | development | |||
| 05 | Team FREDNET Team FREDNET Team FREDNET is an international Open Source and Open Participation competitor in the Google Lunar X PRIZE competition. Uniquely, the team also allows organizations and individuals to participate freely in its mission through the team's website... |
To be named | Lander | development | |
| To be named | Rover | development | |||
| 06 | ARCA | HAAS | lunar orbiter | development | |
| ELE | spherical rover | development | |||
| 07 | Moon Express Moon Express Moon Express, or MoonEx, is a privately held seed-stage company formed by a group of Silicon Valley and space entrepreneurs, with the goal of winning the Google Lunar X Prize, and ultimately mining the Moon for resources of economic value.-History:... |
development | |||
| 08 | STELLAR Stellar Stellar is an adjective referring to one or more stars. It may also refer to:* Hyundai Stellar, a car built by Hyundai Motor Company* "Stellar*", a New Zealand-based rock band.* "Stellar" , a song by Incubus... |
To be named | Rover | development | |
| 09 | JURBAN | development | |||
| 10 | Independence-X | development | |||
| 11 | Omega Envoy | To be named | lander | development | |
| Sagan | rover | development | |||
| 12 | SYNERGY MOON | development | |||
| 13 | Euroluna Euroluna The European Lunar Exploration Association is a Danish-Italian-Swiss team led by Palle Haastrup, which is participating in the Google Lunar X Prize Challenge.- The team :The members of the Euroluna team are:*Palle Haastrup*Søren Rasmussen... |
ROMIT | development | ||
| 14 | Team SELENE | RoverX | Wheg robot | development | |
| 15 | White Label Space White Label Space White Label Space was formed in early 2008 by a group of experienced space professionals inspired by the challenge of the Google Lunar X PRIZE... |
To be named | lander | development | |
| To be named | rover | development | |||
| 16 | Part-Time-Scientists Part-Time-Scientists The Part-Time Scientists became the first German team to officially enter the Google Lunar X-Prize competition on June 24, 2009. Their goal is to reach the moon before the Lunar X-Prize deadline of December 31, 2012.- Concept :... |
Asimov Jr. | rover | development | |
| 17 | C-Base Open Moon | c-rove | rover | withdrawn | |
| 18 | Selenokhod Selenokhod Team Selenokhod is a privately funded Russian team of aerospace experts led by Nikolay Dzis-Voynarovskiy. It was the first Russian team to enter the Google Lunar X Prize competition.-History and development:... |
development | |||
| 19 | Barcelona Moon Team Barcelona Moon Team The Barcelona Moon Team, also called BMT, is a privately funded Catalan team of aerospace experts led by Xavier Claramunt. It was the first Spanish team to enter the Google Lunar X Prize competition.-History and development:... |
development | |||
| 20 | Mystical Moon, a 'mystery team' | development | |||
| 21 | Rocket City Space Pioneers Rocket City Space Pioneers The The Rocket City Space Pioneers is one of 29 teams from 17 different countries officially registered and remaining in the competition for the Google Lunar X PRIZE... |
development | |||
| 22 | Team Space IL | development | |||
| 23 | Puli Space Technologies Puli Space Technologies Puli Space Technologies is a Hungarian company established by individuals in June 2010 in order to take part in Google Lunar X Prize Challenge and other competitions, and further to facilitate development of space industry in Hungary, to promote scientific thinking and encourage students to choose... |
Puli | development | ||
| 24 | Team SpaceMETA | development | |||
| 25 | Team Plan B | development | |||
| 26 | Penn State Lunar Lion Team | development | |||
| 27 | Angelicum Chile | development | |||
| 28 | Team Indus | development | |||
| 29 | Team Phoenicia | development | |||
| SCSG | withdrawn | ||||
| Micro-Space Micro-Space Micro-Space is an aerospace corporation based in Denver, Colorado, founded in February 1977 by Richard P. Speck under the name Spectron Instrument Corporation... |
Crusader LL | lander | withdrawn | ||
| Quantum3 | withdrawn | ||||
| Lunatrex | withdrawn | ||||
| Advaeros | withdrawn | ||||
| (Unannounced / Mystery Team) | withdrawn |
Shortly after the announcement of the complete roster of teams, an X PRIZE Foundation official noted that a total of thirty one teams entered a partial registration program by filing a "Letter of Intent" to compete; of these, twenty did indeed register or join other registered teams, while eleven ultimately did not register.