The competition deadline for the Google Lunar XPrize has changed and is now set to March 31, 2018. It's the fourth time that the deadline has been changed. Previously, there was a launch deadline of December 31st, 2017. In addition, new prize money will be available to successful teams:
The Lunar Arrival Milestone prize offers $1.75 million to spacecraft that either orbit the moon or try landing. The Soft Landing Milestone Prize will award $3 million to any craft proven to successfully land on the surface. These new prizes aren't a race; they'll be split up among all teams which achieve the milestones by the end of March.
The first team to land a robot that travels 500 meters and sends imagery back to Earth will receive $30 million.
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Although the Google Lunar X Prize ended without any teams landing rovers on the Moon, some teams still intended to complete the mission. Now the X Prize Foundation has announced that the competition will continue without prize money, although a new sponsor could change that:
Just a few days after the Google Lunar X Prize ended without a winner, the X Prize Foundation announced today that it's relaunching its competition to send a private spacecraft to the Moon. The competition will be "non-cash," meaning it won't have prize money for whichever team first completes its mission to the lunar surface — at least for now. The foundation is looking for a new sponsor that can replace Google and provide funding.
"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," Peter H. Diamandis, X Prize founder and executive chairman, said in a statement. "Because of this 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."
One of the teams, Moon Express, had contracted with Rocket Lab to launch a payload to the Moon using an Electron rocket, but Rocket Lab only reached Earth orbit for the first time in January 2018.
Previously: Moon Express and Rocket Lab Team Up for 2017 Lunar Mission
Google Lunar XPrize Deadline Revised; New Prizes Available
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 17 2017, @06:36AM
A googol nuggers will blot out the moons!
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 17 2017, @06:51AM
Welcome to the Dark Side of the Moon!
As you can see, the Dark Side isn't totally dark.
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| Meet Hot Singles In ORBIT, LUNAR |
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This is because of lunar phases and ambient stellar illumination.
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