Washington, D.C., Tuesday, October 26, 2010 – The Commercial Spaceflight Federation strongly welcomes NASA’s announcement earlier this month that the space agency will purchase data generated by innovative lunar robotic missions being prepared by six commercial space companies in pursuit of the Google Lunar X PRIZE, through the space agency’s new $30.1 million Innovative Lunar Demonstrations Data program.
The X PRIZE Foundation, which administers the Google Lunar X PRIZE, explained that, “NASA awarded small, firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts worth at least $10,000 to these companies [Astrobotic, Next Giant Leap, Rocket City Space Pioneers, Omega Envoy, Frednet, and Moon Express] making them eligible to make later sales of lunar data worth as much as $10 million through the Innovative Lunar Demonstrations Data program. In exchange, each of these companies will provide NASA with unique and valuable data regarding the demonstration of critical technical components required to mount successful, low cost missions to the lunar surface. To claim the full $10 million, these teams must supply a variety of data packages as they pass significant milestones in the mission planning and operations; initial data packages worth just over $1 million will be from tests conducted here on Earth, but a majority of the available funding will come from spacecraft en route to or already on the lunar surface.”
Commercial Spaceflight Federation Executive Director John Gedmark stated, “We are exceptionally pleased to see NASA supporting the Google Lunar X PRIZE in such a visible fashion. By paying for results and for milestones delivered, NASA will be able to deliver high value for the taxpayer while at the same time fostering innovative space companies.”
William Pomerantz, Senior Director for Space Prizes at the X PRIZE Foundation, stated, “These contracts send a clear signal to the investment community that NASA is ready to purchase lunar data, even from small, entrepreneurial firms. This will give a huge momentum boost not just to the companies selected today, but to all of the Google Lunar X PRIZE teams and other companies hoping to sell unique lunar data to NASA and other space agencies at competitive rates.”
About the Google Lunar X PRIZE
The $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE is an unprecedented international competition to challenge and inspire engineers and entrepreneurs from around the world to develop low-cost methods of robotic space exploration. To win the Google Lunar X PRIZE, a privately-funded team must successfully place a robot on the Moon’s surface that explores at least 500 meters (1/3 of a mile) and transmits high definition video and images back to Earth. The first team to do so will claim a $20 million Grand Prize, while the second team will earn a $5 million Prize. Teams are also eligible to win a $1 million award for stimulating diversity in the field of space exploration and as much as $4 million in bonus prizes for accomplishing additional technical tasks such as moving ten times as far, surviving the frigid lunar night, or visiting the site of a previous lunar mission. To date, more than 20 teams from a dozen countries around the world have registered to compete for the prize. The Google Lunar X PRIZE is available to be claimed until the end of the year 2015. For more information about the Google Lunar X PRIZE, visit www.googlelunarxprize.org.
About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever-higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation’s member companies, which include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, spaceports, suppliers, and service providers, are creating thousands of high-tech jobs nationwide, working to preserve American leadership in aerospace through technology innovation, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. For more information please visit www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Executive Director John Gedmark at john@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.349.1121.
