“We are extraordinarily grateful to Google for funding the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE between September 2007 and March 31st, 2018. While that competition is now over, there are at least five teams with launch contracts that hope to land on the Lunar surface in the next two years,” said Peter H Diamandis, X Prize founder and executive chairman, in a statement.
Artist's concept of Moon Express' MX-1E lunar lander on its way to the moon. (Credit: Moon Express)
Google pulled out of the competition, taking its money with it, because the space race aimed to have teams launch and complete missions to the Moon before March 31st, 2018. But right now, none of the five finalists are ready to go. That meant the grand prize of $30 million went unclaimed.
The idea behind the prize was to get private teams to not only land on the Moon, but also travel up to 500 metres across its surface with some kind of rover and do live broadcasts back to Earth. The first team to achieve the goals would get $20m, there was $5m for second place and small prizes for additional, individual goals, like completing an orbit before landing.
It’s going to be a tough sell to get folks to keep working on these ambitious targets without a cash incentive, but the Xprize Foundation is hoping that with the finalists as close as they are to completion, it can attract another title sponsor to the competition.
“Because of the tremendous progress, and near-term potential, XPRIZE is now looking for our next visionary Title Sponsor who wants to put their logo on these teams and on the lunar surface,” said Diamandis.
">The XPrize Competition to get a private spacecraft on the Moon is relaunching, with no Google and no million-dollar cash prize.
The XPrize Foundation announced that it wants to keep going with the competition to send a private spacecraft to the Moon, despite the fact that Google has pulled out of this "literal moonshot".
“We are extraordinarily grateful to Google for funding the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE between September 2007 and March 31st, 2018. While that competition is now over, there are at least five teams with launch contracts that hope to land on the Lunar surface in the next two years,” said Peter H Diamandis, X Prize founder and executive chairman, in a statement.
Artist's concept of Moon Express' MX-1E lunar lander on its way to the moon. (Credit: Moon Express)
Google pulled out of the competition, taking its money with it, because the space race aimed to have teams launch and complete missions to the Moon before March 31st, 2018. But right now, none of the five finalists are ready to go. That meant the grand prize of $30 million went unclaimed.
The idea behind the prize was to get private teams to not only land on the Moon, but also travel up to 500 metres across its surface with some kind of rover and do live broadcasts back to Earth. The first team to achieve the goals would get $20m, there was $5m for second place and small prizes for additional, individual goals, like completing an orbit before landing.
It’s going to be a tough sell to get folks to keep working on these ambitious targets without a cash incentive, but the Xprize Foundation is hoping that with the finalists as close as they are to completion, it can attract another title sponsor to the competition.
“Because of the tremendous progress, and near-term potential, XPRIZE is now looking for our next visionary Title Sponsor who wants to put their logo on these teams and on the lunar surface,” said Diamandis.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bridaineparnell/2018/04/06/lunar-xprize-competition-still-going-ahead/Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "No Google And No Prize Money, But The Lunar XPrize Competition Is Still Going Ahead"
Post a Comment