Author Topic: GLXP Update Thread (Read 94741 times)

savuporo · « **Reply #140 on:** 12/20/2016 05:13 am »

One got in Chancery and then there were four.

www.parabolicarc.com/2016/12/19/astrobotic-pulls-out-google-lunar-prize/

a_langwich · « **Reply #141 on:** 12/20/2016 07:15 am »

Quote from: savuporo on 12/20/2016 05:13 am

One got in Chancery and then there were four.

www.parabolicarc.com/2016/12/19/astrobotic-pulls-out-google-lunar-prize/

Wait..their web update quotes somebody describing them as years ahead of the competition, but four others managed to arrange launches, and they have not? I guess they meant the lander hardware was years ahead? Or did they mean it like "ahead of their time" as in another decade or so it will be fantastic?

Joking aside, I do feel bad for some good teams who have put in fantastic effort but will not get a chance to see it tested on the moon...this go 'round. I fervently hope the opportunities open up over the next decade. It can only be positive that Rocket Lab, ISRU, Interorbital, and SpaceX are all having a look at putting payloads into a lunar trajectory.

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #142 on:** 12/20/2016 12:08 pm »

The Japanese team HAKUTO just announced that they will go piggyback with Team Indus instead (which seems to be the only one left with a realistic chance of winning) after Astrobotics drops out.

EgorBotts · « **Reply #143 on:** 12/20/2016 02:51 pm »

Wait, did Moon Express drop out too? Or did you mean Astrobotics?

I stayed at the time where Moon Express did have 2 secured launches to the moon with RocketLab. Assuming Electron is still upgoing, I don't see Moon Express retiring on its own...

Nice news for Hakuto. I have great hopes for their rover (and doubts about Team Indus Lander...)

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #144 on:** 12/20/2016 02:57 pm »

Quote from: EgorBotts on 12/20/2016 02:51 pm

Wait, did Moon Express drop out too? Or did you mean Astrobotics?

I stayed at the time where Moon Express did have 2 secured launches to the moon with RocketLab. Assuming Electron is still upgoing, I don't see Moon Express retiring on its own...

Nice news for Hakuto. I have great hopes for their rover (and doubts about Team Indus Lander...)

Yes, I've mixed up those two.

TrevorMonty · « **Reply #145 on:** 12/24/2016 03:38 pm »

Good article from Parabolic.

http://www.parabolicarc.com/2016/12/23/astrobotic-ceo-skeptical-anyone-win-google-lunar-prize/

At this stage my money is on Indus just because they are flying on PSLV. Moon Express have outside chance of 2017 launch on Electron, along with other teams using F9.

Moon express is only team that have allowed for 3 attempts, but 2 and 3 won't happen in 2017.

Merry Christmas NSF members.

Danderman · « **Reply #146 on:** 01/14/2017 07:11 am »

http://arstechnica.com/science/2017/01/private-company-says-it-is-fully-funded-for-mission-to-the-moon/

Private company says it is fully funded for mission to the Moon

So it is no small achievement for the private, US-based Moon Express to have conquered the political science part of sending a rover to the Moon. Last August, after a lengthy regulatory process, the company received permission from the US government to send a commercial mission beyond low Earth orbit. And on Friday, the company announced that it has successfully raised an additional $20 million, meaning it has full funding for its maiden lunar mission. “Now it’s just about the rocket science stuff,” said company co-founder and Chief Executive Bob Richards. That, he realizes, remains a formidable challenge.

Phil Stooke · « **Reply #147 on:** 02/05/2017 03:13 pm »

http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2017/pdf/1914.pdf

Abstract at LPSC about landing site selection for SpaceIL GLXP mission to the Moon.

gongora · « **Reply #148 on:** 02/23/2017 02:28 am »

IEEE Spectrum: Finish Line Looms for Google Lunar XPrize Finalists

Quote

SpaceIL, an Israeli nonprofit, will use a SpaceX Falcon 9 to get off the ground. ... As with other teams, SpaceIL is still readying its spacecraft, which is being built at an Israel Aerospace Industries facility. The team’s launch contract is for a six-month window that extends into 2018. If it can’t make the 2017 deadline, SpaceIL still aims to go to the moon: “We have an educational mission that we are intent on achieving that has little to do with the time frame of the competition,” Lichtenstein says.

There was an article in SpaceNews last fall saying SpaceIL isn't flying on SSO-A (Sun Synch Express). Has anyone ever heard which flight it is supposed to be on?

jamesh9000 · « **Reply #149 on:** 04/21/2017 11:18 pm »

https://qz.com/962696/spaceil-the-israeli-team-competing-for-the-google-lunar-xprize-wont-make-it-to-the-starting-line/

It would seem that 2017 is getting away on the GLXP contestants. I consider the teams flying on Rocket Lab's Electron to have virtually no chance of launching on time, and the team flying on Interorbital's powerpoint rocket to have a negative chance, which is a mathematical impossibility, but there you are.

Really, Team Indus and Hakuto on the PSLV are the only realistic candidates at this stage, however, we don't know what stage the actual hardware is at.

Of course, the deadline may just be extended again. I remember reading that they weren't going to extend it anymore, but there may be some kind of loophole they'll use. Either way, its been going on for a long time now, and it all seems to be a bit of a bridge too far. I hope I'm wrong.

ChrisWilson68 · « **Reply #150 on:** 04/21/2017 11:31 pm »

It's too bad it looks like none of the teams is going to make it.

I wish they had offered a bigger prize. The prize that was offered was just too small to attract enough resources to get there in the time available.

Chasm · « **Reply #151 on:** 04/22/2017 07:33 am »

Looks like SpaceIL wants to continue.

PTscientists are also expected to launch outside the competition. They had an open house a few weeks back and showed their work. Still have to change their lander hardware from the mockup. Soon with 100% less launching upside down.
They signed and submitted a launch contract in time but in the wake of AMOS-6 it was not accepted. Investigation and return to flight were expected to delay their launch well beyond the deadline.

as58 · « **Reply #152 on:** 04/22/2017 09:40 am »

Quote from: jamesh9000 on 04/21/2017 11:18 pm

https://qz.com/962696/spaceil-the-israeli-team-competing-for-the-google-lunar-xprize-wont-make-it-to-the-starting-line/

It would seem that 2017 is getting away on the GLXP contestants. I consider the teams flying on Rocket Lab's Electron to have virtually no chance of launching on time, and the team flying on Interorbital's powerpoint rocket to have a negative chance, which is a mathematical impossibility, but there you are.

Interorbital's rocket is also a mathematical impossibility, so maybe the two negatives multiply and turn into a plus. Or maybe not.

Quote

Really, Team Indus and Hakuto on the PSLV are the only realistic candidates at this stage, however, we don't know what stage the actual hardware is at.

Of course, the deadline may just be extended again. I remember reading that they weren't going to extend it anymore, but there may be some kind of loophole they'll use. Either way, its been going on for a long time now, and it all seems to be a bit of a bridge too far. I hope I'm wrong.

I'm pretty confident that the deadline will be extended once again if no one makes it this year but some contestant(s) has/have (as seems likely) at least somewhat plausible chance of making an attempt in (earlyish) 2018.

Phil Stooke · « **Reply #153 on:** 04/22/2017 12:42 pm »

Astrobotic also intends to launch outside the competition. One possible outcome (becoming more likely all the time) is that the competition itself will come to nothing, except that it was the catalyst for several teams to be successful later on.

ChrisWilson68 · « **Reply #154 on:** 04/22/2017 06:11 pm »

I remember in the first X Prize, when it became clear that Rutan was going to win, a number of other teams claimed they were only a few weeks away from launching and even if Rutan won and the contest was over, they would still be launching very soon.

None of them ever launched.

So, when I hear that various Google Lunar X Prize teams are claiming as the contest deadline approaches that they're close to launching and they'll launch even if the contest is over, I'm skeptical.

pippin · « **Reply #155 on:** 04/22/2017 06:51 pm »

Well, it's a bit different here.
The primary goal of winning is getting the reputation, more than the money.
When Rutan won the X Prize it was clear he would be taking the fame as well. But here, without a winner, that "came first" spot is still there, after all, you are still the best if nobody else makes it at all.

ChrisWilson68 · « **Reply #156 on:** 06/15/2017 06:41 am »

Another couple of months and there's an awful lot of silence from all the teams.

Phil Stooke · « **Reply #157 on:** 07/31/2017 07:57 am »

"an awful lot of silence "

Not any more. Who knows what will really happen? Certainly not me. But MoonEx and Team Indus are making a lot of noise at the moment. SpaceIL, a bit. Astrobotic is out of the competition but making serious noise. PTScientists are making a little bit of noise too, though they are also out of consideration. I will refrain from embarrassing Synergy Moon (oops, too late). Sources? Just peruse SpaceToday on an almost daily basis or search for each team individually in your fave lunar competition-sponsoring search engine. My guess is that at least three of the above will conduct actual flight attempts in the next year or two, in or out of the competition.

koraldon · « **Reply #158 on:** 12/01/2017 06:42 pm »

Some news out of SpaceIL - Positive progress mixed with negative financial outlook: http://www.spaceil.com/news/spaceil-alerts-the-national-dream-in-danger-of-closing/

ChrisWilson68 · « **Reply #159 on:** 01/01/2018 04:18 pm »

Quote from: koraldon on 12/01/2017 06:42 pm

Some news out of SpaceIL - Positive progress mixed with negative financial outlook: http://www.spaceil.com/news/spaceil-alerts-the-national-dream-in-danger-of-closing/

SpaceIL said "To complete its mission, SpaceIL now needs another $20 million by the end of 2017.". There's no news from them that they got that $20 million, so it looks like they're out of the running.