After choosing five finalists from a pool of 16 teams, the Google Lunar X Prize (GLXP) Contest has reached its final stage. In this race, 5 teams are now competing against each other for a cash prize worth 20 million dollars. To record a victory in the challenge, teams have to launch a spacecraft to the lunar surface, explore it for at least 500 meters and then send back high-definition videos and images. The first lunar module that manages to complete all these tasks by the end of this year, i.e. December 31, 2017, will be declared the winner.
The Google Lunar X Prize teams competing in the final round include SpaceIL (Israel), Moon Express (USA), Synergy Moon (International), Team Indus (India) and Hakuto (Japan). To secure a position in the final stage, teams were required to reserve a rocket to launch their respective spacecraft and then get the contract verified by the X Prize Foundation. Apparently, the verification had to be done before the end of 2016 and therefore the 5 teams that reached this target were given the green light to continue in the competition.
Google Lunar X Prize Contest (Image courtesy: Google Lunar X Prize)
Finalists of the Google Lunar X Prize contest
When registrations closed on December 31, 2010, it was found that 32 teams had registered, but subsequently only 16 teams actively participated in the competition. In February 2014, the judging panel selected 5 teams including Astrobotic, Moon Express, Team Indus, Part Time Scientists and Hakuto. These were required to meet certain milestones that were outlined in the submissions through testing and mission simulations, based on their proposals on how they would achieve the goals. However, later on, teams that managed to secure an approved launch contract with the Prize X foundation managed to qualify for the final stage.
These teams competing in the finals to reach the lunar surface are discussed below.
1. EspaçoIL
SpaceIL Lunar Module (Image courtesy: Google Lunar X Prize)
SpaceIL is an Israel-based non-profit organization founded in 2011. It was the first team in the competition to sign a verified launch to the Moon in October 2015. The deal was signed with an American SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the launch is scheduled for late 2017. Instead of a rover, SpaceIL is using a Hop concept to conserve mass. In this system, the spacecraft will land on the Moon and then take off again with the fuel left in the propulsion system. Afterwards, it will land 500 meters away according to GLXP criteria.
2. Moon Express
Moon Express Lander (image courtesy: Google Lunar X Prize)
Moon Express is a privately funded commercial space company founded in August 2010. It was announced by XPRIZE in December 2015 that Moon Express was the second team in the competition to receive an approved launch contract. The team contracted with Rocket Lab USA and its lunar mission will use Rocket Lab's Electron rocket to launch the MX-1E Lunar Lander.
Although Electron has not yet made its maiden flight, testing will take place in early 2017. The team has a short-term goal of performing cost-effective lunar missions, while the long-term goal is to unlock the resources found on the Moon to the benefit. of humans.
3. Moon Synergy
Synergy Moon Rover (image courtesy: Popular Science)
Synergy Moon is an amalgamation of groups namely InterPlanetary Ventures, Human Synergy Project and Interorbital Systems. It is an international group with members coming from more than 15 countries. He became the third contest finalist to receive approval for the 2017 Lunar Mission. Interorbital Systems will be the launcher for the mission, while the Neptune 8 rocket will act as the launcher. The lunar mission is scheduled to take place in the second half of 2017 at an open ocean location off the coast of California.
The team aims to introduce technological innovations that will enable personal satellite launches, cost-effective exploration of the solar system, and crewed orbital travel.
4. Indus Team
TeamIndus Rover (image courtesy: bbc)
TeamIndus is a Bengaluru-based startup, which is the fourth team to reach the final stage of the Moon 2.0 competition. The team also won a $1 million milestone award for the landing parameter. Its lander is called HHK-1, while the rover is called ECA, i.e. 'Ek Choti si Asha' (a little hope). The team plans to launch the rovers via ISRO's PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle).
A clear advantage of TeamIndus is that it is the only team with a contracted rocket that has been to the Moon before. The launch is scheduled to take place on December 28, 2017 in Sriharikota. After liftoff, the rocket will insert the spacecraft into an elliptical transfer orbit, followed by the spacecraft traveling alone for a 21-day trip to the moon.
5. Hakuto
Hakuto Rover (Image courtesy: shakaika )
Hakuto, a group of experienced individuals, was formed in the year 2008 after being inspired by the announcement of the Google Lunar X Prize challenge. The team has a unique “dual rover” system that consists of a two-wheeled “Tetris” and a four-wheeled “Moonraker.” There is also a hyperbolic mirror camera system on Moonraker that captures 360-degree images. As far as the launch is concerned, the team has signed an agreement with TeamIndus to share the trip, which implies that it will be accompanied by an India-based team on the PSLV rocket.
Origin of the Competition
Dr. Peter Diamandis, who was the CEO of Blastoff! Corporation had a vision to land a robotic spacecraft on the lunar surface. Although Blastoff! The initiative was unsuccessful; paved the way for the GLXP. Previously, Dr. Peter had approached NASA to sponsor the contest, but as it is a US tax-funded government agency, it agreed to only award US teams. So he planned to contact different space agencies, but there were some setbacks regarding the budget.
Afterwards, Dr. Diamandis discussed the idea with Larry Page and Sergey Bin (co-founders of Google) at an XPRIZE fundraising event. Not only did they agree to sponsor the contest, but they also increased the prize pool from 20 million dollars to 30 million dollars. Later, the Google Lunar XPRIZE was announced on September 13, 2007.
GLXP Cash Prize
The Google It needs to travel at least 500 meters on the Moon and transmit high-definition images and videos to Earth. The first team to complete these tasks will receive the grand prize worth 20 million dollars, while the second team in the race will receive the second prize worth 5 million dollars.
Additionally, there are other tasks beyond the basic requirements that can help teams win an extra amount of money beyond the grand or second prize. These additional tasks include traveling 10 times the basic requirement (i.e. a distance of 5,000 meters), capturing images of Apollo program hardware or any other man-made objects, surviving a night on the lunar surface, or checking water detection. frozen on the moon. the moon.
Additionally, there will be a “Diversity Award” worth 1 million dollars that will be distributed among all 16 teams that have demonstrated active participation in GLXP. Thus, each of them will receive a cash prize worth US$6,250.
According to Chanda Gonzales-Mowrer, senior director of the Google Lunar the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Last update :
According to a recent report from Quartz, teams are having a tough time preparing for the final race. SpaceIL's rocket is still in line for launch, but apparently it won't be able to launch before 2018. The team is facing some technical challenges that are causing the delay. Another Moon Express team has obtained full funding and approval, but has yet to launch its first flight test. Moving forward, Team Indus, despite having secured the most reliable launch vehicle, is still struggling to raise $70 million to fund the launch.
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