Googlepromised $ 20 millionto the first secret company that could land on the moon , ramble around a few hundred meters , and then beam the achievement back to Earth . But it looks like none of the competing companies have landed on that sweet lunar open — and Google is n’t going to give them more prison term .
“ Google does not have plans at this sentence to prolong the deadline again ; however , we are so thrilled with the progression made by these team over the last ten years,”a Google spokesperson told CNBCon Monday . The current deadline is set forMarch 31stof this class — just 68 days from today .
Google ’s Lunar Xprize challenge , announced more than a decennary ago , had narrowed down to four finalist . But according to multiple nameless sources who spoke to CNBC , of the final four , one did n’t have enough backing and the remaining three were n’t yet ready to launch .
An Israeli nonprofit organization , SpaceIL had a launch declaration since the end of 2015 andplanned to launch a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocketin the second half of last twelvemonth . But the organization was $ 7.5 million short , according to CNBC , ask the finances to continue paying for the launching contract , spacecraft , team member , and partners . SpaceIL CEO Eran Privman told CNBC his team just involve a moment more clip . “ Give us another few months — until the end of 2018 , ” he said .
The other finalist team are TeamIndus , Synergy Moon , and Moon Express , none of which are reportedly in a position to set in motion before March 31st . Despite no squad winning Google ’s plunder , some of the participants still see an top to the competition .
“ The Google Lunar Xprize has done a great job inspiring teams worldwide to shoot for a dreaming thought only within the reach of governments , while bring in a focal point back to the Moon as an important destination for expanding upon as a multi - world coinage , ” Bob Richards , beginner and CEO of Moon Express , one of the final four companies , told Gizmodo in January of last twelvemonth . Moon Express still has programme to plunge its spacecraft next class but isreportedly not prioritizing Lunar Xprize ’s competition .
It ’s unclear why Google has decide not to once again go the deadline for its genuine moonshot — the company has extended it on two other occasions in the yesteryear . It was primitively mark for 2012 , which was then pushed to 2014 , which was crowd again to this year . We have get to out to Google for comment on why it ’s no longer extending the Lunar Xprize deadline .
Update January 24 : Xprizereleased a statement yesterdaysaying it has “ conclude that no team will make a launch attempt to attain the Moon by the March 31st , 2018 deadline … the grand prize of the $ 30 M Google Lunar XPRIZE will go unclaimed . ” The brass says it may see for a novel supporter to take Google ’s place and unfold the contest .
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