Google Offers $20 Million Prize for Private Moon Mission

Krisidious · 23 Jan 2008, 14:05

Google Inc. is bankrolling a $20 million out-of-this-world prize to the first private company that can safely land a robotic rover on the moon and beam back a gigabyte of images and video to Earth, the Internet search leader said Thursday.

Each rover must also be equipped with high-definition video and still cameras to document the journey.

The rules call for a spacecraft to trek at least 1,312 feet (400 meters) across the lunar surface and return a package of data including self-portraits, panoramic views and near-real time videos.

Participants are also responsible for securing a launch vehicle for the probe, either by building it themselves or contracting with an existing rocket company.

Whoever accomplishes the feat by the end of 2012 will receive $20 million.

If there is no winner, the purse will drop to $15 million until the end of 2014 when the contest expires.

There is also a $5 million second-place prize and $5 million in bonus money to teams that go beyond the minimum requirements.

Details of the Google X Prize are to be revealed at the WIRED Nextfest technology show in Los Angeles."

posted by Krisidious

Krisidious · 23 Jan 2008, 14:08

I'm in... who's with me?

just tie 20 thousand pounds of TNT to my ass and give me a camcorder and a ethernet cord and light me!

posted by Krisidious

Ivica Valjak · 23 Jan 2008, 14:10

or we could join and make model of moon in sketchup and render in some photorealistic software and send to google
Laughing Shocked

posted by Ivica Valjak

Ross Macintosh · 23 Jan 2008, 14:11

How 'bout starting a campaign to get the public to donate 2L bottles of Diet Coke and packages of Mentos. By 2012 we should have gathered very large supply and could use the Mentos/Coke to power a rocket of our own design. Perhaps Mentos/Coke could be our sponsors and pick up the mission's expenses. Since building a traditional rover would be technologically difficult for us we could get our brave (but arguably stupid) volunteer Kris to climb inside a big clear plastic ball with his camcorder and his cell phone. He could take with him a Scuba re-breather system with a few oxygen tanks and some Depends absorbent undergarments. For the long trip there we could get a voodoo priest to put a zombie spell on him so for most of the trip outwardly he would appear dead (and breathe very little). When he hits the moon the ball might bounce a bit but eventually it would settle down and Kris could walk around filming. He could then send the video home with his cell phone. Unfortunately we won't be able to get Kris back. Fortunately he won't suffer in his slow death as the oxygen eventually is depleted. Of course we will think fondly of him while we're spending the prize money!

Seems do-able to me. Cool

posgted by Ross Macintosh