Category Archives: Google Lunar XPRIZE

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 30 Oct – 2 Nov 2020

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NASA Lunar Delivery Challenge Seeks New Ideas On Moon Cargo Logistics

With Regular Moon Delivery Of Equipment, Experiments, Supplies Commencing With CLPS 1 And 2 Missions In 2021, NASA Considering Unique Load-Out Challenges On Lunar Surface; Utilizing HeroX Crowdsourcing Platform Founded By Peter Diamandis (T), Led By CEO Christian Cotichini (B), Competition To Award US$10K For 1st Place Solution, 2 $4500 Prizes For 2nd, 3 $2,000 Prizes For 3rd ($25k Total); Concepts To Be Judged On 6 Criteria: Lunar Surface Applicability, Design Flexibility, Proposal Quality, Autonomy, Mass / Volume Optimization, Reliability/ Feasibility; Contest Ends January 19, 2021 17:00 EST

Credits: HeroX, NASA, Xprize, Topcoder, CLC

Friday / 21 Dec 2018

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SpaceIL ‘Genesis’ Lunar Lander Ready For February SpaceX Launch, May-June 2019 Touchdown At Mare Serenitatis

Genesis “Beresheet” בְּרֵאשִׁית)‬) Is Scheduled For Falcon 9 Launch From Cape Canaveral AFS NET 13 Feb As Secondary Payload With PSN-6 Satellite; After Launch, Lander (Dry Mass ~200 kg, Wet 585 kg) Will Orbit Earth 3 Times, Perform Orbit ‘Raising’ Over 2.5 Months To Maneuver Into Lunar Orbit, And Take 2-4 Weeks To Soft Land Near “Sea of Serenity” 28.0°N, 17.5°E; Reported US$95M Mission Carries Digital Time Capsule, Magnetometer, Laser Retroreflector Array; Israel Aerospace Industries Located SE Of Tel Aviv Is Mission Control; Could Be 5th Entity To Land On Moon After India NET Feb

Credits: SpaceIL, IAI

Thursday / 8 Nov 2018

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X-Prize Entrants Still Aiming for Moon

 Google’s Cash Prize Is Ended, But Lunar X-Prize Still On; Israel SpaceIL Prepares For Launch On SpaceX Falcon 9 In Early 2019 For 8-Week Voyage; Moon Express Secures Funding For Launch Complex 17 At Cape Canaveral, Aims For July 2020; Japan ispace Reserves Spaces On Falcon 9 In 2020 And 2021; Astrobotic Has 11 Payloads For 2020; In International Moon Village Workshop & Symposium At USC, Germany PTScientists Plan Audi Rover In 2020 To Taurus-Littrow Site Of Apollo 17; 3rd Moon Village Workshop & Symposium To Land In Japan Late 2019

Credits: USC, PTScientists, Moon Express, SpaceIL

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 12-15 Jan 2018

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Rocket Lab Second Test Launch Set For NET Jan 20, Could Determine GLXP Finale

Electron Second Test Flight ‘Still Testing’ Planned During 9-Day Launch Window Starting 20 January Could Be Significant Determiner In Google Lunar XPrize 31 March Deadline Further Extension Or GLXP End; Team Indus / ISRO PSLV Contract Cancelled Making It Virtually Impossible To Secure New Contract, Raise Funds, Integrate Lander & Launch Before Deadline; This Leaves Moon Express (Rocket Lab), Synergy Moon (Interorbital Untested Launch Vehicle Neptune), SpaceIL (SpaceX – Team Noted It Needed US$7.5M By 20 Dec 2017) And Team Hakuto (Working To Stay In Competition) To Attempt To Win US$20M Grand Prize

Pictured: Peter Beck, Rocket Lab CEO; Credits: Rocket Lab, Moon Express, GLXP

Tuesday / 19 Dec 2017

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Japan Lunar Startup ispace Proceeds With Historic US$90M Investment From INCJ, Shimizu, JAL And Others

Lunar Resource Exploration Company ispace Raises 10 Billion JPY – Largest Ever Series A In Global Space Sector & Largest By Any Japanese Startup; Investors Include INCJ, DBJ, TBS, Shimizu, Suzuki, JAL & 6 Others; Planning Lunar Orbiter 2019 & Lander 2020; Lander Will Be Designed To Carry 30 kg Including 2 Rovers Each With Max 5-kg Payload; CEO Hakamada Hopes For 1000-Person Moon Base By 2040; ispace Runs GLXP Team Hakuto Aiming For 1st Japan Commercial Lunar Landing Q1 2018

Pictured: ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada; Credits: ispace, INCJ, DBJ, TBS, Shimizu, Suzuki, JAL

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 Dec 2017

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Rocket Lab Electron 2nd Test Ideal Launch Conditions Open Monday Local Time (Sunday USA)

Electron Rocket 2nd Test Launch Possible 14:30-18:30 Dec 11 In New Zealand (15:30-19:30 Sunday HST): Live Video Stream To Begin 12 Minutes Before Launch; 17m-Tall, 1.2m-Diameter Rocket Capable Of Taking 225kg To Orbit; This Test Carries 2 Weather-Monitoring Lemur-2 Satellites For Spire & 1 Earth-Imaging Dove Satellite For Planet Labs; Daily 4-Hour Launch Window Continues Until Dec 17; Success Prepares Rocket Lab For Moon Express Lunar Launch Contracted For Q1 2018

Pictured: Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck; Credits: Rocket Lab, Spire, Planet Labs, NASA

Thursday / 30 Nov 2017

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GLXP: 4 Teams Preparing For 2018 Launches While Uncertainty Surrounds Competition Deadline

Moon Express Looks Forward To 2nd Test Launch Of Rocket Lab Electron During 8-18 Dec Window; Team Indus Completes Qualification Of Spacecraft Structural Model For Flight On ISRO PSLV Rocket In 2018; Hakuto Plans To Ship SORATO Rover To India In Dec To Ride On Team Indus Lander; Synergy Moon Awaits Interorbital NEPTUNE Rocket Test Launch; SpaceIL To Terminate Unless $20M Raised By Year End

Credits: GLXP, ME, Team Indus, Team Hakuto, SpaceIL, Synergy Moon

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 Aug 2017

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USA Lunar Developments: Bridenstine Could Be NASA Admin, GLXP Extended Until 31 March 2018

Representative Jim Bridenstine R-OK (TL) Is Reported To Likely Become New NASA Administrator, Aerojet Rocketdyne Vice President John Schumacher May Be Named Deputy Administrator; Bridenstine Advocates For Human Return To Moon Before Mars, Permanent Lunar Outpost And Increased USA Space Activity; Google Lunar X Prize 5 Teams Remaining Have Until 31 March 2018 To Complete Mission; New Prizes Include US$1.75M For Teams That Complete 1 Lunar Orbit Or Enter Direct Descent Approach To Moon Surface, And $3M For Teams To Soft Land On Moon & Transmit Data To Earth Before Deadline; Still In The Race Is Moon Express, Team Indus With Hakuto, Synergy Moon, SpaceIL

Credits: GLXP, Moon Express, Hakuto, SpaceIL, Indus, Synergy Moon, NASA. J. Bridenstine

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 February 2017

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2017 Student Moonbots Challenge Winner Could Send Video To Moon And Meet GLXP Winners In Person

Parallel International Competition To Google Lunar XPrize, Moonbots Challenge For Students Ages 8-17 To Detail What They’d Like To Leave On Moon As A Legacy, Build Robotic Lunar Rovers & Make STEM Video; Registrations Due 1 March; 5 Teams (Moon Express, SpaceIL, Synergy Moon, Team Indus, Team Hakuto) Will Attempt To Launch To Moon Before 2018, Land,Travel 500 Meters & Send High Res Video To Earth; Moonbot Grand Prize Winner Video Will Be Sent To Moon On Disc

Credits: Moonbots, GLXP

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 December 2016

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GLXP Teams Must Provide Launch Contract Before 2017 To Stay In Competition: 4 Verified, 1 Newly Contracted

glxp-teams-dec-2016

Nearing 1-Year Mark To Claim US$20M First Place Prize, GLXP Teams Have Until 31 Dec 2016 To Contract With Launch Provider; Israel SpaceIL With Hopper Lander Has Verified SpaceX Launch, USA Moon Express Hopper Lander Verified Contract With Rocket Lab (And Has FAA Approval For Mission), USA Synergy Moon Lander & 2 Rovers Verified With Interorbital, India Team Indus Lander & Rover Verified With ISRO PSLV; Germany Part Time Scientists Lander & 2 Rovers SpaceX Contract Via Spaceflight Industries Not Yet Verified; USA Astrobotic Lander (With Andy Rover) – Carrying Japan Hakuto 2 Rovers & Chile AngelicvM Uni Rover – Still Planning SpaceX Launch

Credits: Moon Express, Astrobotic, Hakuto, SpaceIL, Part Time Scientists, Synergy Moon, Team Indus, AngelicvM, GLXP