Google Sponsors Lunar X PRIZE to Create a Space Race for a New Generation

[ChrisWilson68]

At least one team does have a signed launch contract; Barcelona moon team.

I think there's a difference between signing a deal for a launch and actually coming up with the money to pay for it later on when it becomes due.  Is there any indication that Barcelona Moon Team has come up with the money to keep their launch on track?  I haven't seen anything about a concrete launch date or position on the Chinese launch manifest.

This news posts shows they do have specific launch date arranged with CGWICG; beyond that there's a frustrating lack of specific information from either party. Their posts show that they've also ordered their lander's propulsion system from CGWIG, but none of them explicitly state if work has actually started on it or if it's part of the same contract. They haven't posted updates of any kind since february.

Yeah, that's what worries me, the recent silence.  It's possible things are going along smoothly behind the scenes, but that doesn't seem likely.  When teams are making progress, they usually like to make lots of announcements about it.  They have an interest it keeping up public excitement.

[QuantumG]

Secondaries don't appear on manifests.

The Rocket City Space Pioneers were planning to buy a launch and sell payload space, but I don't think they had enough takers, and then Moon Express acquired them.

Moon Express remains the favorite, I think. (Which shouldn't be a surprise, as it's run by SEDS alumni and everyone knows the X-Prize Foundation is just the Peter Diamandis' version of every Adam Sandler film.)

[guckyfan]

Could they go as a secondary with a Com Sat, preferably on a super synchronous orbit?

[ChrisWilson68]

Could they go as a secondary with a Com Sat, preferably on a super synchronous orbit?

Primary comsat payloads have very specific flight profiles they like to take for thermal and other reasons.  It means they only have limited launch windows.  The people who own the primary payload aren't likely to let their bird wait on the ground or take a launch window they normally wouldn't just to get a favorable alignment with the moon.  So an eliptical GTO the secondary finds itself in isn't likely to be favorable for TLI.  And there's still a lot of delta-V to actually get to the moon, and then still more to soft land on the moon.  And the lander has to be able to drive itself a significant distance on the surface.  I'm not sure it would be small enough to be a viable secondary payload.

Also, a secondary with that much delta-V capability might be considered a risk to the primary if it misbehaves, leaks, etc.

I think it's not impossible it could go as a secondary, but there might be factors that make it impossible.  That's probably why there was talk of sharing a ride among several competitors -- easier to share a ride with something else going to the moon than with a comsat.

[IslandPlaya]

Not impossible then impossible.
Make your mind up.

[guckyfan]

I am not yet convinced it is a bad idea. The delta-v from GTO to TLI is quite small, especially if it is a supersynchronous orbit. The moonbound vehicle can adjust the orbit so it aligns with a moon trajectory after a while and then injects to TLI. It only requires ability to wait maybe several weeks in that orbit waiting for alignment.

But I don't know, how heavy the vehicle would be. If it is the size of a Com Sat it won't get a cheap slot as a secondary.

[dror]

I read in the past that SpaceIL booked a place as a secondary in a gto launch, but I can't find it now.
They have just finished a PDR for telecom system last month, and signed a propultion unit production contract.
The thing's wet weight is 140 kg and sizes 96x72x72 cm.

[gongora]

Google Lunar XPrize teams partner for a 2016 SpaceX moonshot
Teams Hakuto and Astrobotic have agreed to a partnership that will see them hitching a ride on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. If all goes well, they could be on the moon before the end of 2016.

http://www.cnet.com/news/spacex-astrobotic-hakuto-glxp/

[nadreck]

Aviation week article on Astrobotic getting a client for a payload on their X-prize lunar lander. AEM (Agencia Espacial Mexicana) has put out an RFP to universities and other entities in Mexico to develop a package for the Astrobotic Lander mission in 2016.

Aviation week article link

[Borklund]

I have raised this thread from the dead with news of JJ Abrams doing a web series on the GLXP, which debuts for free on March 15 on Google Play and on YouTube on March 17.



http://www.wired.com/2016/03/j-j-abrams-moon-shot-google-lunar-x-prize-documentary-series/

[Borklund]

Aforementioned web series now available on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFr_CR2naq_GKR51V_l4ECL9iexYlo2-h

[Star One]

German X Prize team announces launch contract

WASHINGTON — A German team competing for the Google Lunar X Prize said Nov. 29 that it has signed a contract to launch its lander, carrying two rovers, by late 2017.

Berlin-based PT Scientists said that it signed a contract with Spaceflight Industries for the launch of its lander as a secondary payload on a vehicle yet to be identified. Seattle-based Spaceflight serves as a broker for secondary payloads and works with a number of launch service providers.

Karsten Becker, head of electronics for PT Scientists, said at an online press briefing Nov. 29 that a SpaceX Falcon 9 is the most likely vehicle that Spaceflight will use to launch their lander. “We are very confident that it will be a Falcon 9, but we cannot say that it will be a Falcon 9 just yet, because Spaceflight needs to confirm it with their other customers, and SpaceX,” he said.

- See more at: http://spacenews.com/german-x-prize-team-announces-launch-contract/#sthash.0VA7C9ZZ.dpuf

[Lar]

German X Prize team announces launch contract

WASHINGTON — A German team competing for the Google Lunar X Prize said Nov. 29 that it has signed a contract to launch its lander, carrying two rovers, by late 2017.

Berlin-based PT Scientists said that it signed a contract with Spaceflight Industries for the launch of its lander as a secondary payload on a vehicle yet to be identified. Seattle-based Spaceflight serves as a broker for secondary payloads and works with a number of launch service providers.

Karsten Becker, head of electronics for PT Scientists, said at an online press briefing Nov. 29 that a SpaceX Falcon 9 is the most likely vehicle that Spaceflight will use to launch their lander. “We are very confident that it will be a Falcon 9, but we cannot say that it will be a Falcon 9 just yet, because Spaceflight needs to confirm it with their other customers, and SpaceX,” he said.

- See more at: http://spacenews.com/german-x-prize-team-announces-launch-contract/#sthash.0VA7C9ZZ.dpuf

See also this thread with more discussion on the PT Scientists entry and further plans

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=41724

[Star One]

Google Lunar X Prize teams get extra time to win competition

WASHINGTON — After months of stating that it would offer no further extensions of the Google Lunar X Prize competition, the X Prize Foundation announced Aug. 16 it was effectively giving the five remaining teams a little extra time.

In a statement, the foundation, which administers the lunar landing competition, said that teams now had until March 31, 2018, to complete all the requirements of the prize, which include landing on the lunar surface, traveling at least 500 meters, and returning video and other data.

http://spacenews.com/google-lunar-x-prize-teams-get-extra-time-to-win-competition/

[savuporo]

I think they should have given them until Groundhog day

[Phil Stooke]

Good idea.  Make the competition a little easier - first rover to see its shadow, it wins the prize.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Scoop: No team will win the $20 million @glxp grand prize in March, and @Google is set to let its backing of the Lunar @xprize end

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/22/google-will-not-extend-lunar-xprize-deadline.html

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/955440357877190656