Internet company Google has awarded a total of $5.25m to five startups competing in Google Lunar XPrize, its $30m competition launched to fund robotic space exploration technology.
The XPrize aims to help a privately funded team successfully place a robot on the moon’s surface that explores at least 500 metres and transmits high-definition video and images back to Earth. It awarded prizes in imaging, mobility and landing categories.
Astrobotic, a spin-out of research conducted at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute, was awarded $1.75m, while the other US-based team, Moon Express, received $1.25m.
India-based Team Indus secured $1m, Germany-based Part-Time Scientists $750,000 and Japan-based Hakuto $500,000. The funding for all five was achieved when they reached milestones in one or more of the categories.
Robert K. Weiss, president of XPrize, said: “The goal of this unprecedented competition is to challenge and inspire engineers and entrepreneurs from around the world to develop low-cost methods of robotic space exploration and these achievements represent a pivotal moment in this important journey back to the moon.”