Google Lunar X PRIZE to help exploration of new vistas on moon

Google Inc. and X PRIZE Foundation announced an exciting Google Lunar X PRIZE - robotic race to Moon worth $30 million prize purse, on September 13, 2007. Several private establishments across the world are expected to be eyeing for this bounce. For a team to hit the jackpot, it must successfully soft land a privately funded robotic rover on the Moon, roam over the lunar surface for a minimum 500 meters, and transmit a specific set of video, data and images back to Earth.

The Google Lunar X PRIZE sets a challenge before the private enterprises to accomplish a target 10 times beyond its present limits to enter this space exploration adventure. The $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE purse has been segmented into a $20 million Grand Prize, a $5 million Second Prize and a $5 million in bonus prizes. The Grand Prize would expire on December 31^st 2012, after which it will drop to $15 million until December 31^st 2014 and ultimately terminated unless Google and the X PRIZE Foundation agrees on an extension.

X PRIZE Foundation is an educational nonprofit prize institute that serves as a leading model for encouraging innovation through competition for the benefit of humanity. Its combined effort with top web property Google is expected to generate a revolutionary breakthrough in developing a low-cost knowhow for robotic space exploration.

In the words of Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, CEO and Chairman of the X PRIZE Foundation

“By working with the Google team, we look forward to bringing this historic private space race into every home and classroom. We hope to ignite the imagination of children around the world.”

Google Lunar X PRIZE