Thursday, September 13, 2007
Google Announces $30 Million X Prize for Moon Landing
Together with the X Prize Foundation, Google aims to foment a space race.
By Michael Patrick Gibson
Today, Google and the X Prize Foundation announced the Google Lunar X Prize, a $30 million purse, $20 million of which will be awarded to the first team to land a privately funded robotic rover on the moon. To win the grand prize, the rover must also be able to complete several missions, including roaming the lunar surface for at least 500 meters and sending video, images, and data back to Earth. Winnings will also be awarded for second place, as well as for extraordinary performances.
Says Google cofounder Sergey Brin in a press release, "It's a great honor to participate in the Google Lunar X PRIZE. Google is really excited about this particular effort because we believe in the entrepreneurial spirit and its ability to accomplish the most ambitious tasks."
The Google Lunar X Prize represents one more X Prize carrot that aims to lure people to the moon. Next month, the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge will take place in New Mexico. (See "Landing a Spacecraft with Engines Blazing.")
In a playful aside today, Google launched Google Moon, a Google Maps-like rendition of NASA's Apollo moon missions.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Comments
FAAlleva
09/14/2007
Posts:1
Hey Google, the Moonrovers Prize was MY idea!!!
http://www.ghostnasa.com/posts/008moonprize.html
the article includes the email that shows the truth
.
Gaetano Mara...
09/16/2007
Posts:139
Gaetano Mara...
09/18/2007
Posts:139
after almost half a century of both space and
planetary exploration(s), humanity ought to be
more focused on life sustainability on varying
planets in demonstration of equitable intellectual
evolution of mankind.
To assign a prize tag of such a colossal sum
of money to robotic design, landing and rooming
on the moon falls short of real intellectual evolution in the context of space or planetary race.
Mr. Sergey, Google and NASA, in doubt of experimental approach?? a model could be developed
to support the study of planet moon's capability to support progressive forms of life.
It is a humble conclusion that more than enough
exploratory information has been gathered over the
years for the world to move ahead to life sustainability by planets closest to planet Earth.
( contact: martin@mpgatechnology.com)
martinaatayo
09/18/2007
Posts:45