Science

New Google Lunar X Prize Teams and a New $2M Bonus Prize

Today at Google headquarters in Mountain View California, nine new Google Lunar X Prize teams were announced. The teams have fulfilled all the requirements of registration with the competition (including writing a check for the $1,000 $10,000 entrance fee) and are now in the running for the $20 million prize for the first private robotic […]

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Today at Google headquarters in Mountain View California, nine new Google Lunar X Prize teams were announced. The teams have fulfilled all the requirements of registration with the competition (including writing a check for the $1,000 $10,000 entrance fee) and are now in the running for the $20 million prize for the first private robotic mission to the moon that can rove 500 meters and send a "mooncast" back to Earth.

The second place team can rove away with $5 million of their own and another pot of $5 million is available for completing "bonus" task such as finding ice, or surviving the 14 lunar night. All the prizes expire December 31, 2014.

Space Florida announced the new bonus prize yesterday as well. They are offering a $2 million dollar bonus if the winner takes off from Cape Canaveral. It is quite an interesting development and adds significantly to the pot. It also fits well with Elon Musk's offer to any Google Lunar X Prize team to fly on SpaceX's Falcon rockets at cost, especially since SpaceX is building a new launch pad for their Falcon 9 out at Kennedy Space Center...* *

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According to Space Florida's President Steve Kohler:

"Florida's long been recognized as a preeminent leader in any activity that involves our exploration of the moon," Kohler said. "Part of our effort as a state and as an organization is to continue that legacy. We believe (this competition) will allow the state to become a future hub for commercial projects."

Who knows how long it will be till you can jump on a sub-orbital flight from Cape Canaveral to Sydney? But if Space Florida plays their cards right, they will be able to lay the regulatory and commercial groundwork to be one of those major commercial space hubs.

It may seem a long way off to us. But it was only 50 years between when Charles Lindbergh flew a harrowing first flight across the Atlantic, and when airline passengers were falling asleep on take off because flying across the ocean had become so commonplace.

For more details about each team, and weekly updates on the competition, you can go to the Google Lunar X Prize site.

Private race to the moon (and money) takes off [MSNBC]

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Image: Google Lunar X Prize