X-Prize: Let's Go to the Moon!

kennyc · 02-18-2011, 08:05 AM

X PRIZE Lunar Race Lures 29 Contenders

Registration for a $30 million competition to land a spacecraft on the moon is closed, with a total of 29 teams officially in the running, managers of the Google-sponsored Lunar X PRIZE competition announced this week.

Eight teams were added to the official roster before registration closed, including contenders from Israel, Hungary, Brazil, Canada, Chile and India....

http://news.discovery.com/space/x-pr...ontenders.html

dsvick · 02-18-2011, 10:17 AM

I think things like this are awesome. I have no issues with governments and definitely see their need in the initial stages of things that require huge amounts of money. However, now that space flight is fairly common, well known, accepted, and understood private companies can probably push the boundaries much further, at a faster pace than any government can. If for no other reason than there are a lot more highly intelligent people working in the private sector than for all the governments combined.

Over the next 50 years or so I think we'll see huge strides in space travel with some of the first large scale space stations being, if not built, then certainly planned. The biggest problem we'll need to overcome will be just getting off of the planet - but their working on that as well.

DixieGal · 02-18-2011, 10:45 AM

I love the X Prize competition! I personally believe that capitalistic competition is the only way we will ever expand out of our hometown planet to the big universe. One little extinction event, and then we are gone, if we don't get out the heck out of here.

At the space museum in DC, everybody crowds around the Wright brothers plane. I was more in awe of that sleek little space sports car that won the first X Prize.

02-18-2011, 08:05 AM	#1
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	X-Prize: Let's Go to the Moon! X PRIZE Lunar Race Lures 29 Contenders Registration for a $30 million competition to land a spacecraft on the moon is closed, with a total of 29 teams officially in the running, managers of the Google-sponsored Lunar X PRIZE competition announced this week. Eight teams were added to the official roster before registration closed, including contenders from Israel, Hungary, Brazil, Canada, Chile and India.... http://news.discovery.com/space/x-pr...ontenders.html

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02-18-2011, 10:17 AM	#2
dsvick Wizard Posts: 2,737 Karma: 635747 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Northeast Ohio, USA Device: PRS-900	I think things like this are awesome. I have no issues with governments and definitely see their need in the initial stages of things that require huge amounts of money. However, now that space flight is fairly common, well known, accepted, and understood private companies can probably push the boundaries much further, at a faster pace than any government can. If for no other reason than there are a lot more highly intelligent people working in the private sector than for all the governments combined. Over the next 50 years or so I think we'll see huge strides in space travel with some of the first large scale space stations being, if not built, then certainly planned. The biggest problem we'll need to overcome will be just getting off of the planet - but their working on that as well.

02-18-2011, 10:45 AM	#3
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	I love the X Prize competition! I personally believe that capitalistic competition is the only way we will ever expand out of our hometown planet to the big universe. One little extinction event, and then we are gone, if we don't get out the heck out of here. At the space museum in DC, everybody crowds around the Wright brothers plane. I was more in awe of that sleek little space sports car that won the first X Prize.

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