Well, the penetrator probes on Deep Space 2 were designed to survive impacts at about 200 m/s. I vaguely recall reading about a lunar penetrator (Japanese, maybe?) that was designed to survive impact at about 300 m/s. In either case, you've still got to kill of a lot of speed somehow.
New date late 2016.http://lunar.xprize.org/press-release/two-google-lunar-xprize-teams-announce-rideshare-partnership-mission-moon-2016
Both sides will benefit with HAKUTO obtaining a ride to the moon and Astrobotic securing an important customer for its long-term lunar delivery service venture. This joint contribution would be reflected in a share of the prize purse.
Regarding the cost of launch, this mission takes on special significance. It is big publicity for both SpaceX and Google, which are now 9% linked. My guess would be, if the collaboration can't afford the launch, SpaceX does everything it can to provide a wholesale price on a used stage.
Quote from: enzo on 02/24/2015 04:11 pmRegarding the cost of launch, this mission takes on special significance. It is big publicity for both SpaceX and Google, which are now 9% linked. My guess would be, if the collaboration can't afford the launch, SpaceX does everything it can to provide a wholesale price on a used stage.I totally agree that Google and SpaceX may help leverage these entries and may even have helped this collaboration happen. but the nitpicker in me has to point out that if you imagine two circle that overlap, one being SpaceX and one being Google then the Google circle has a radius that is 301/2 times (~5.477) the SpaceX one and while 7.5% of the area of the SpaceX circle is in the overlap only ~1.369% of the Google circle is in the overlap area.
Quote from: nadreck on 02/24/2015 04:34 pmQuote from: enzo on 02/24/2015 04:11 pmRegarding the cost of launch, this mission takes on special significance. It is big publicity for both SpaceX and Google, which are now 9% linked. My guess would be, if the collaboration can't afford the launch, SpaceX does everything it can to provide a wholesale price on a used stage.I totally agree that Google and SpaceX may help leverage these entries and may even have helped this collaboration happen. but the nitpicker in me has to point out that if you imagine two circle that overlap, one being SpaceX and one being Google then the Google circle has a radius that is 301/2 times (~5.477) the SpaceX one and while 7.5% of the area of the SpaceX circle is in the overlap only ~1.369% of the Google circle is in the overlap area.I think that's a fancy way of asserting that SpaceX cares more about Google than Google does SpaceX, given the investment size and market cap sizes?If so, I don't think money is the only way to measure this. PR value here is huge and probably has more impact that pure dollar amounts.
Quote from: enzo on 02/24/2015 04:11 pmRegarding the cost of launch, this mission takes on special significance. It is big publicity for both SpaceX and Google, which are now 9% linked. My guess would be, if the collaboration can't afford the launch, SpaceX does everything it can to provide a wholesale price on a used stage.EDIT: [fp]fixed my math[/fp]
Quote from: nadreck on 02/24/2015 04:34 pmQuote from: enzo on 02/24/2015 04:11 pmRegarding the cost of launch, this mission takes on special significance. It is big publicity for both SpaceX and Google, which are now 9% linked. My guess would be, if the collaboration can't afford the launch, SpaceX does everything it can to provide a wholesale price on a used stage.EDIT: [fp]fixed my math[/fp]I wonder why Astrobotic Tech is not directly mentioned in your post?Sure, any GLXP money won by Astrobotic Tech, or anybody, would not cover the cost of launch, but are the team members of Astrobotic Tech devoid of imaginative solutions to pay off the balance? TV specials on Japanese TV? Streaming video on the internet with Paypal access? etc etc etc?BTW, even if the Astrobotic Tech lunar hardware shatters on the Moon instead of making a survivable surface contact, that will still be a historic revolutionary milestone in spaceflight. And that partial success can be financially exploited by Astrobotic, Google and SpaceX.
I totally agree that Google and SpaceX may help leverage these entries and may even have helped this collaboration happen.
Astrobotic has a published price of $1.2 million per kilogram to deliver payloads to the lunar surface, which is well within Mexico’s price range. The exact size and mass of the AEM payload is still to be determined, depending on the results of the agency’s RFP, according to Astrobotic CEO John Thornton...The company has planned a launch with SpaceX, but has not booked the mission yet, Thornton says. That could be important, because the X Prize Foundation has extended the deadline for a lunar landing by one year, to Dec. 31, 2016, and stipulated that at least one contestant must have scheduled a launch by the end of this year.
Signing Mexico up as a customer also moves Astrobotic one step closer to having enough paying customers to win it the now-8-year-old Google Lunar XPrize it has been pursuing since it was created...Astrobotic and CMU are still pursuing that prize and hope they can get enough private payload customers in the next year to pay to lease a Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX and launch some time in 2016.
Just to be clear here, as this thread title continues to be misleading. Astrobotic CEO has confirmed there is no booked launch for a SpaceX Falcon 9 http://aviationweek.com/space/mexico-buys-ride-moonQuoteAstrobotic has a published price of $1.2 million per kilogram to deliver payloads to the lunar surface, which is well within Mexico’s price range. The exact size and mass of the AEM payload is still to be determined, depending on the results of the agency’s RFP, according to Astrobotic CEO John Thornton...The company has planned a launch with SpaceX, but has not booked the mission yet, Thornton says. That could be important, because the X Prize Foundation has extended the deadline for a lunar landing by one year, to Dec. 31, 2016, and stipulated that at least one contestant must have scheduled a launch by the end of this year.In terms of real world launch manifest bookings, 2016 should be pretty much spoken for.And here is the roundabout ( but obvious ) explanation of why the launch has not been bookedPittsburgh’s Astrobotic signs Mexican Space Agency for trip to the moonQuoteSigning Mexico up as a customer also moves Astrobotic one step closer to having enough paying customers to win it the now-8-year-old Google Lunar XPrize it has been pursuing since it was created...Astrobotic and CMU are still pursuing that prize and hope they can get enough private payload customers in the next year to pay to lease a Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX and launch some time in 2016. In other words, Astrobotic has not been able to secure funding or financing for actually paying for the launch themselves, and they hope to get other agencies/organizations to pay them enough so that they can pay SpaceX.
Too bad they're not ready to go. SpaceX might give them a deal on the RTF launch.
QuoteSigning Mexico up as a customer also moves Astrobotic one step closer to having enough paying customers to win it the now-8-year-old Google Lunar XPrize it has been pursuing since it was created...Astrobotic and CMU are still pursuing that prize and hope they can get enough private payload customers in the next year to pay to lease a Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX and launch some time in 2016.
Astrobotic and United Launch Alliance Announce Mission to the MoonJuly 26, 2017Rust Belt Company, Astrobotic selects ULA to launch its Peregrine Lander in 2019 for lunar mission 50 years after Apollo 11Pittsburgh, PA – Astrobotic and United Launch Alliance (ULA) proudly announce today that Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lunar Lander will be onboard a ULA launch vehicle in 2019, during the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11.“Astrobotic is thrilled to select a ULA launch vehicle as the means to get Peregrine to the Moon,” said John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic. “By launching with ULA, Astrobotic can rest assured our payload customers will ride on a proven launch vehicle with a solid track record of success. Together, our two organizations will honor the past and trail blaze the lunar future.”This effort is a big step in realizing Astrobotic’s goal of creating a Rust Belt based international gateway to the Moon. The Peregrine Lunar Lander will fly 35 kilograms of customer payloads on its first mission, with the option to upgrade to 265 kilograms on future missions. Already 11 deals from six nations have been signed for this 2019 mission. The first mission in 2019 will serve as a key demonstration of service for NASA, international space agencies, and companies looking to carry out missions to the Moon. This announcement comes as Astrobotic continues to advance Peregrine toward flight, with the preliminary design review of the vehicle having already taken place in November 2016.“Technical credibility and signed deals remain key differentiators for Astrobotic as a lunar delivery company. Our customers and partners know that our 10 years of lunar lander development work has made us the world leader in this market,” said Thornton.“We are thrilled that Astrobotic has selected ULA to launch the Peregrine Lander to the Moon,” said ULA president and CEO, Tory Bruno. “The Moon is the next great frontier, but in a different way than when Neil Armstrong landed there. Enabling technologies like those from Astrobotic will allow people to live and work in the space between here and the Moon and take advantage of all those resources in a way that is sustainable.”ULA joins a world-class team of mission partners led by Astrobotic. These partners include NASA, who is providing Astrobotic access to some of the best spacecraft engineers and facilities in the world, as part of NASA’s Lunar CATALYST Program; Airbus DS, who brings world-class spacecraft experience in human spaceflight and exploration and leverages previous lander development work with the European Space Agency; and Deutsche Post DHL Group, the world’s leading mail and logistics company, who is the “Official Logistics Provider for Astrobotic’s First Mission to the Moon.” ###About Astrobotic:Astrobotic Technology Inc. is a lunar logistics company that delivers payloads to the Moon for companies, governments, universities, non-profits, and individuals. The company’s spacecraft accommodates multiple customer payloads on a single flight, offering flexibility at an industry-defining low price of $1.2 million per kilogram. Astrobotic is an official partner with NASA through the Lunar CATALYST program, has 23 prior and ongoing NASA contracts, a commercial partnership with Airbus DS, a corporate sponsorship with DHL, 11 deals for its first mission to the Moon, and 110 customer payloads in the pipeline for upcoming missions. Astrobotic was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA.About ULA:With more than a century of combined heritage, United Launch Alliance is the nation’s most experienced and reliable launch service provider. ULA has successfully delivered more than 115 satellites to orbit that provide critical capabilities for troops in the field, aid meteorologists in tracking severe weather, enable personal device-based GPS navigation and unlock the mysteries of our solar system. For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com, or call the ULA Launch Hotline at 1-877-ULA-4321 (852-4321). Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch, twitter.com/ulalaunch and instagram.com/ulalaunch.
