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: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Friday April 06 2018, @12:10PM (3 children)
Did they purchase some kind of prize indemnification insurance policy akin to hole-in-one contests? And the time of the policy ran out so now they won't pay it? $30,000,000 may be a lot for you and me, but it is one tenth of one percent of Alphabet's annual profits.... it strikes me that on an annual basis they could outright put that kind of money into a trust, let it bear interest that returns to Alphabet in the meantime, and let the prize keep running. Maybe I'm missing something.
This sig for rent.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday April 06 2018, @12:33PM (2 children)
If I'm not mistaken, Google promised to fund prizes rather than put up any actual cash. And extended the promise multiple times (adding years to the deadline). Since nobody met the requirements, Google didn't have to pay out a cent.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Friday April 06 2018, @05:59PM (1 child)
But why set a time limit on it?
This sig for rent.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by bob_super on Friday April 06 2018, @06:33PM
Because people get a lot more focused when they have to deal with a deadline for losing money.
Ask the SLS guys, for example...
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday April 06 2018, @02:38PM
Soylent could collectively offer a prize for the first lander. Oh-kay, so maybe we don't offer a million dollars. But, I'd kick in a twenty, anyway. I might be induced to offer more than twenty bucks. Someone says, "Big deal, Soylent offers a grand total of $275 to the first lunar rover - who is going to bother?"
Well, if Soylent stepped up, and word got around (as word usually does) other groups might take the challenge, and step up with us. It's remotely possible that prizes worth millions are offered, from many different sources. For that matter - even if all sources combined only coughed up a couple thousand dollars, someone still gets bragging rights. "We got there, we accomplished the mission, and we won all the prize money!"