Google backs private Moon landing

Google backs private Moon landing

news.bbc.co.uk

Search giant Google is offering a $30m prize pot to private firms that land a robot rover on the Moon

(visit the link for the full news article)

An interesting idea providing an incentive, but who would be in a position to be able to get a robot to the Moon?

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

That's a mouthful of offer -- note 'private firms'. A Loaded challenge for many reasons I suspect. Can it be done?, and if done we can all have a little visual tour of what is and isn't and has never been on the surface of the moon. Outstanding challenge Google !!

Great find, sherpa Perhap's this will be the big story if it can be financially met and done at all.

Dallas

Well in my opinion the guy who does it first FOR THE PRIZE is crazy.It would cost way more than $30m to land a robot on the moon

reply to post by Lukekilla4



Well there is an indian launch platform here that could get an orbital flight for $30 million however that was in 1993 so inflation has probably hit that.

Then again could that be classed as private sector ?

First Launch Date: 20 September 1993. LEO Payload: 3,700 kg to 200 km Orbit at 49.5 degrees inclination; 3,500Kg to 400 Km circular orbit, 43 degrees inclination ; SSO Orbit: 1200Kg to: 820Km Orbit (limited to 1200Kg due to down range safety); GTO Payload: 1060 kg (upto 1350Kg [31]) to 18 deg inclination . Liftoff Thrust: 540,000 kgf. Total Mass: 294,000 kg. Core Diameter: 2.8 m. Total Length: 44.4 m. Launch Price $: 30.00 million. in 1999 price dollars. Flyaway Unit Cost $: 17.50 million [32]. in 1985 unit dollars.

www.bharat-rakshak.com...

SpaceShipOne cost anywhere from $25-40million (I find several numbers) and only won $10million in the first X Prize.

I think the prize is worth a lot more than the dollar amount attached to it.

Space flight on a budget is what NASA is all about these days. That mantra in the private sector can leave national space programs in the dust.

This is something that I will have to keep an eye out on. The only problem I can see is that the costs of the project will be greater then the 20 - 30 million dollar money. Still anything encourages a greater role for the private sector in Space is a good thing. I could see someone like Richard Branson attempeding to claim the prize.

No doubt that the man didn't land on the moon crowd would claim that any footage of the American Flag or any other object left on the moon is fake.

[edit on 14-9-2007 by xpert11]

Earlier news discussion here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Please contribute to the existing discussion.


Thread closed.