The Google Lunar X PRIZE is a $30 million international competition to safely land a robot on the surface of the Moon, travel 500 meters over the lunar surface, and send images and data back to the Earth. Teams must be at least 90% privately funded and must be registered to compete by December 31, 2010. The first team to land on the Moon and complete the mission objectives will be awarded $20 million; the full first prize is available until December 31, 2012. After that date, the first prize will drop to $15 million. The second team to do so will be awarded $5 million. Another $5 million will awarded in bonus prizes. The final deadline for winning the prize is December 31, 2014.

Spacehack tip: Team Frednet is an open source, international GLXP team that you can participate in, regardless of background. Lunar Numbat is a team of Australians and New Zealanders who use open source technologies to partner with the GLXP team White Label Space and are open to new participants.

robot prototype by Team Italia, view more teams here

Project owners + coordinators:
Amanda Stiles, online community manager
X Prize Foundation contact form