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NASA: Constellation Programme

ESA: Aurora

X-Prize Lunar Challenges

Armadillo Aerospace

Mars500

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News

August 2008 : 9 teams to take part in the 2008 Lunar Lander Challenge (X-Prize)

16 April 2008 : Team Summit, Strasbourg, France (XPrize)

Links

X-Prize blog

The teams

Complete coverage (space.com)

NASA's Centennial Challenges

X-Prize Lunar Challenges (Eng) (Fr)
 

In 2004, the XPrize Foundation organized the successful Ansari XPrize won by Mojave Aerospace Venture and their SpaceShipOne, later bought by Virgin Galactic. The Foundation continues to manage Prizes with the ultimate goal to make spaceflight available to all. The Lunar Challenges in particular are intended to improve the development of technologies that will eventually take men and material to the surface of the Moon.

 
 


Lunar Lander Challenge

Managed by X-Prize as part of NASA's Centennial Challenges
Challenge requirements:
- Level 1: vertical take-off, flight of at least 90 seconds, vertical landing at Point B , at a distance of at least 100m, return to point A, flat non-hazardous landing site
- Level 2: flight of at least 180 seconds, simulated lunar surface with slopes and hazards
First prizes:
- Level 1 : 350.000 US$
- Level 2 : 1.000.000 US$

There was no winner at the 2007 challenge, Armadillo coming close but failing at level 1.

Next challenge will take place on 24-25 October 2008 at Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA.

Website
 
       
 


Google Lunar Challenge

Launched by Google in 2007

Requirements:
- land a craft on the lunar surface, roam for at least 500 meters and send a data package (“Mooncast”) back to Earth
- First prize: $ 20 million until end 2012; $ 15 million until end 2014
- Second prize: $ 5 million

Website