8 International Experts In Astronautics & Robotics Announced As Judges For Google Lunar XPRIZE; Panel Includes (T-B) David Swanson Of OSC, Alan Wells Of NEREUS & John Zarnecki Of ISSI; Judges Will Verify Team Launch Agreements, Payload / Mobility Plans, Examine Data To Confirm Mission Completion; Judges May Also Aid In Awarding Proposed Early Milestone Prizes
Image Credit: GLXP, OSC, NEREUS, ISSI
Barcelona Moon (Spain) Has Set Launch Date For June 2015, China Great Wall Industry Corporation Is Launch Provider (L); Team Space IL (Israel) Has Reportedly Raised ~US$25M From Israel Citizens; Euroluna Team (Denmark / Italy) Looking To Exploit Budget Microsatellite Market, Base Technology On CubeSats, Ion Thrusters & Tether; Team Indus (India) Finalizing US$15M Launch Contract With ISRO
Image Credit: Barcelona Moon, Space IL, Euroluna, Team Indus
Team Indus Drawing Up Launch Contract With ISRO To Buy PSLV Launch For US$15M, Estimating Total Cost Of Mission ~US$30M; Several GLXP Team Members Present At European Planetary Science Congress In London To Raise Awareness Of NewSpace Lunar Missions Value / Credibility; Even Missions With No Scientific Payloads Could Provide Valuable Data: Action Of Dust During Landing, Surface Properties, Degradation Of Solar Panels By Dust & Radiation
Image Credit: GLXP, ISRO, EPSC2013
LADEE Launch — 6 Sep, 23:27 EDT, Wallops Island VA, Via Minotaur 5 Rocket — Promises To Provide Spectacular Show To East Coast USA Viewers; US$248M-Mission Will Test New System For Ultra-Fast Optical Data Transmission — 600 Mbit/s, Unravel Mysteries Of Lunar Atmosphere / Dust Environment, Premiere Common Spacecraft Bus; Next Flight Of The Bus Likely On Moon Express (ME) GLXP Mission NET 2015; ME Announces Paul Spudis New Chief Scientist, Jack Burns Added To Science Advisory Board
Image Credit: NASA, Moon Express
Team Puli With IndieGoGo Campaign Plans To Send Rover To Moon-Like Mauna Kea In Hawai`i, Have It Take HD Video, Move 500 Meters, Test / Control Systems From Budapest, Hungary 12,552 Km Away; Team Indus Based In New Delhi, India Running Competition To Develop Lunar Rover Designs; Red Whittaker Of Astrobotic Discusses Griffin Lander / Red Rover Mission To Investigate Lacus Mortis 44.962° N, 25.61° E
Image Credit: GLXP, Puli, Indus, Astrobotic, IFA
Barcelona Moon Team Revises Launch Date From June 2014 To June 2015; Spacecraft / Lunar Rover Competing For GLXP Will Launch Aboard Long March 2C Rocket With Upper Stage CTS2 For Lunar Transfer Orbit Insertion; Launch Contract Provided By China Great Wall Industries Corporation; Pictured: Team Leader Xavier Claramunt, President Of Galactic Suite
Image Credit: GLXP, Barcelona Moon Team
President & CEO Of Moon Express, Bob Richards (T), Says Company Has New Lander Concept For GLXP Mission Half The Size & Cost Of Original Projection; Utilizing Small Rocket Engines Fueled With H2O2, Developed By Chief Propulsion Engineer Tim Pickens (B), & Other Technological Advances, Team Believes It Can Deliver Craft To Moon For Under US$50M; Seeking Launch As Secondary Payload; Craft Will Use On-Board Propulsion To Travel From GTO To Moon
Image Credit: Moon Express
Team EuroLuna Leaders Recently Visited Bangalore, India To Meet With Antrix Senior Officials About Arranging Launches For Its Romit1 & Romit3 Spacecraft; Romit1 Will Be A Test Flight To Verify Computer, Radio, Camera Operations & Test Electric Ion Accelerator Rocket Engine; Romit3 Is The Craft That Will Land On Moon In Effort To Win GLXP; Romit1 Is Double-CubeSat With 10X10X20Cm Dimensions & ~2Kg Weight
Image Credit: EuroLuna; GLXP, ISRO
23 Remaining Google Lunar X Prize Teams May Be Able To Receive Additional Cash Prizes Totaling US$14M; Current GLXP Prizes Total $30M; Proposing $7M Split Between 1st Teams To Successfully Launch, $1M For 1st Team To Reach 500-Km Moon Altitude & Eight $750K Prizes Available Prior To Launch – 4 For Complete Designs With Power, Navigation, Hardware Plans, 4 For Complete Camera Subsystem Designs
Image Credit: GLXP, NASA, Xinhua/Y. Yan, SpaceX, Teams: Indus, Penn State, Selenokhod, ARCA
New Moon Express (ME) Facility In Huntsville AL Now Operational Says Chief Propulsion Engineer Tim Pickens; Several Propulsion Milestones Already Achieved Including Test Firing Green 1780-Newton Demo Rocket Engine, Developing Mono-Prop & Bi-Prop Propulsion In 0.44-4450-Newton Thrust Class For ME Lander; ME Seeking To Land 1st Commercial Spacecraft On Moon In 2015
Image Credit: Moon Express