Category Archives: Google Lunar XPRIZE

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 December 2014

Posted on by

Moon Express Lunar Missions Progressing With KSC Flight Tests

ME1214

MTV-1x Moon Express Lander To Undergo First Tethered Tests This Weekend At NASA KSC In Florida After Successfully Completing Full Pressurization, Telemetry & Static Thruster Tests This Past Week; Team Plans To Return To KSC In Early 2015 For Additional Testing Integrating H2O2 Thrusters, Star Tracker & Flight Vehicle Navigation Controls; 2015 Promises To Be Critical Year For Moon Express: Launch Agreement As Secondary Payload Expected, Payload Advancement To Flight Status, Integration Of ILO-X Payload, Continuation Of Fundraising To Achieve 2016 Launch

Pictured: Moon Express Co-Founders Bob Richards, Naveen Jain, Barney Pell with Buzz Aldrin

Image Credit: Moon Express

 

Tuesday / 16 December 2014

Posted on by

Astrobotic ‘MoonMail’ Brings Moon Mission Participation To Individuals

MoonMail1214

New Service Provides Opportunity For People Around World To Send Special Small Items To Lunar Surface Aboard Griffin Lander On (NET Late 2015) Moon Mission; Packages Range From US$460 For 1.27 X 0.3-cm Hexagonal Package To $25,800 For 2.5 X 5-cm Package; Mission Will Include Lander, Nicknamed Andy, Which Will Attempt To Complete Requirements To Claim GLXP & Potentially Explore Interesting Cave Formations In Lacus Mortis Landing Site (45.0° N, 27.2° E)

Image Credit: astrobotic.com

Wednesday / 19 November 2014

Posted on by

GLXP Teams Gaining Visibility As Missions Advance

SocialXPrizers1114

Team Synergy Moon Announces Plan To Use Hang W/ Video Social Media Platform To Engage Public In Mission; iPhone Or Android Device Users Can Watch Live Video Broadcasts & Participate In Live Chat As Team Works On Moon Mission; Synergy Moon Consists Of Members From 15 Countries; Penn State Lunar Lion Team To Be Featured On 20 Nov Episode Of Higher Education In Focus TV Program; Undergraduate Team Members Will Join Penn State President Eric Barron (TR) To Discuss Mission Development; Lunar Lion Team Comprised Of ~170 Students

Image Credit: Synergy Moon, Penn State Lunar Lion, Higher Education In Focus

 

Friday / 31 October 2014

Posted on by

India Public, Private Moon Missions 2015-2016

ISRO, Indus Moon Missions

India ISRO Satellite Centre Director S. Shiva Kumar Says Indigenous Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter / Lander / Rover Launching To Moon 2016 Will Enable Spacecraft Development For Proposed 2nd Mars Mission In 2018; GSLV Mk 3 Rocket, Expected To Launch Again First Half Of Dec, Vital For High-Mass Moon, Mars, Deep Space & Human Missions; Privately-Funded GLXP Team Indus Aiming For Moon 2015, Integrating Engineering Model Of Lander & Prototype Of Rover, Needs To Secure PSLV Launch & US$35M

Image Credit: ISRO, Team Indus

Thursday / 30 October 2014

Posted on by

Moon Express To Update On Moon Lander Development

MEcatalyst1014

Lunar Enterprise Moon Express To Begin Vehicle Testing At Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, ALHAT Hazard Field (BR), In November; Media Representatives Invited To Project Update Mon 3 Nov At KSC, 14:00 EST; ME Vehicle Testing Is Part Of Its Participation In NASA Lunar Cargo Transportation & Soft Landing By Soft Touchdown (CATALYST), No-Funds-Exchanged Space Act Agreement Initiative To Encourage Development Of USA Private Sector Robotic Landers; 1st ME Mission MX-1 To Compete For GLXP In 2015 / 2016

Pictured: Moon Express CEO Bob Richards

Image Credit: Moon Express, NASA

Thursday / 4 September 2014

Posted on by

GLXP Teams Take Small Steps,
Develop Big Goals

090414

German-Based Team Part-Time Scientists Test The 3 Imaging Systems Of Its ‘Asimov’ Rover At German Research Center For AI Simulated Lunar Environment In Bremen; Japan-Based Team Hakuto Long-Term Goal Is To Develop Space Resources Which Facilitate Human Habitation Of Moon / Space Says Rover Development Lead Kazuya Yoshida (TL) Of Tohoku University; The Man Who Sold The Moon New Novella By Cory Doctorow (BR) About A GLXP-Type NewSpace Moon Mission, Attempts To Reignite Interest In Developing Enterprising Lunar Exploration Ideas

Image Credit: GLXP, Boing Boing

Friday / 29 August 2014

Posted on by

GLXP Teams: Moon Missions More Valuable Than Cash Prize

Penn State & Hakuto

Penn State Lunar Lion Aiming To Launch To Moon Dec 2015 Would Use US$20M Prize Money To Set Up Space Research Institute / Student Scholarships, Working On Integrating Propulsion & Control System Into Spacecraft – Recognize GLXP Isn’t Just An Investment To Make Money, But Make History; Japan Team Hakuto Stresses Lunar Skylights As Sites Of Potential Human Habitats (As Does Team Astrobotic), Hopes To Contribute To Human Understanding Of Moon, Working On Pair Of Rovers: 4-Wheeled 8kg Moonraker Would Lower 2-Wheeled 2kg Tetris Into Holes Using Tether

Image Credit: Penn State Lunar Lion, Team Hakuto

Thursday / 21 August 2014

Posted on by

Moon Mining Featured On Science Channel Premier

MEmanVuniverse

GLXP Teams Moon Express & Astrobotic Featured In Premier Of ‘Man vs The Universe’ On Science Channel; Episode Entitled ‘Mining The Moon’ Relates How Private Enterprises Are Utilizing Efficient Low-Cost Designs & Youthful Ingenuity To Reassert USA Leadership In Moon Exploration; GLXP Winner Will Be Well Positioned To Develop Moon Mining Technology, Leading Edge Of Potential $Trillion Industry; Moon Express Confirms South Pole Moon As Ideal Destination

Image Credit: Moon Express, Science Channel, NASA

Tuesday / 12 August 2014

Posted on by

Team Indus Partners With Lockheed Martin

TeamIndus0814

Bangalore India-Based GLXP Team Indus Contracts Lockheed Martin Space Systems Division To Aid Moon Mission Trajectory, Descent & Landing; 30-Member Team Will Launch Its Compact HHK1 Lander – With At Least 3 Rovers – Aboard India PSLV Rocket From Satish Dhawan Space Center In 2015; Mission Cost Expected To Be ~US$40M; Team Indus Collaborating With Indian Institute Of Astrophysics On Prototype Development; Team Expected To Receive US$1.25M Milestone Prize In Sep

Image Credit: GLXP, Lockheed Martin, IIA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 August 2014

Posted on by

Lunar Plant Growth Experiment Small Step Toward Human Moon Habitation

MoonGarden0814

Small Containers Of Seeds Will Be Sent By NASA On 2015 GLXP Team Moon Lander To Evaluate If Plants Can Germinate In Low-Gravity / High Radiation Lunar Environment; ~1-kg Payload Will Contain Arabidopsis Seeds, Cameras, Sensors, Communications Equipment, 5-10 Days Of Air; Duplicate Canisters Will Be Sent To USA Schools For Comparison; If Initial Experiment Successful NASA Plans To Put Garden On Lunar Surface To See If Plants Can Survive Frigid Lunar Night & If Multiple Generations Can Continue 

Image Credit: NASA