Google Lunar X Prize
| Google Lunar XPRIZE | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Awarded for | "landing a robot on the surface of the Moon, traveling 500 meters over the lunar surface, and sending images and data back to the Earth." |
| Country | Worldwide |
| Presented by |
X Prize Foundation (organizer), Google (sponsor) |
| Reward(s) | US$20 million for the winner, US$5 million for second place, US$4 million in technical bonuses, US$1 million diversity award |
| Official website | lunar.xprize.org |
The Google Lunar XPRIZE (GLXP), sometimes referred to as Moon 2.0, is an inducement prize space competition organized by XPRIZE, and sponsored by Google. The challenge calls for privately funded spaceflight teams to be the first to land a privately funded robotic spacecraft on the Moon, travel 500 meters, and transmit back high-definition video and images.
In 2015, XPRIZE announced that the competition deadline would be extended to December 2017 if at least one team could secure a verified launch contract by 31 December 2015. Two teams secured such a launch contract, and the deadline was extended.
As of 2017[update], 5 teams remain in the competition. SpaceIL, Moon Express, Synergy Moon, Team Indus, and Team Hakuto, having secured verified launch contracts for 2017 (with SpaceX, Rocket Lab, Interorbital Systems, ISRO, and ISRO respectively). All teams must launch by the end of 2017.
The Google Lunar XPRIZE was announced at the Wired Nextfest on 13 September 2007. The competition offers a total of US$30 million in prizes to the first privately funded teams to land a robot on the Moon that successfully travels more than 500 meters (1,640 ft) and transmits back high-definition images and video. The first team to do so will claim the US$20 million grand prize; while the second team to accomplish the same tasks will earn a US$5 million second prize. Teams can also earn additional money by completing additional tasks beyond the baseline requirements required to win the grand or second prize, such as traveling ten times the baseline requirements (greater than 5,000 meters (3 mi)), capturing images of the remains of Apollo program hardware or other man-made objects on the Moon, verifying from the lunar surface the recent detection of water ice on the Moon, or surviving a lunar night. Additionally, a US$1 million diversity award may be given to teams that make significant strides in promoting ethnic diversity in STEM fields.
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