You might call back that we ’ve reported on the Google Lunar XPRIZEbefore , a race between 16 private companies to set ashore and drive an unmanned rover on the Moon . Well , it has been lay claim that the US governing is ready to grant permission to one of the team to execute the feat , according to theWall Street Journal .
Now , if you ’re confused , rent ’s explain . Technically , blank space belongs to no one . But , under the 1967 Outer Space Treaty , any non - governmental entities that require to operate in blank space , including the Moon , must have potency from their government .
So , for American squad Moon Express , which is the team that is plainly on the cusp of get this authorization , this marks the glade of a major hurdle . Moon Express is one of only two Google Lunar XPRIZE teams , the other being Israeli - basedSpaceIL , that has a launching contract bridge . The remaining 14 squad in the competition have until December 31 , 2016 , to come up with a launch contract in purchase order to be eligible to take part in the contention . It ’s not clear if Moon Express is the only squad come on government authorization , though .
“ After calendar month of lobbying by Moon Express official and high - level deliberations among various federal agencies lead by the White House science office … the company appears nigh to obtaining what it has called ‘ mission favourable reception , ’ ” report the WSJ . It stay that official authorisation from the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) , which regulate US rocket launches , could come in the next few weeks or calendar month .
The goal of theLunar XPRIZEis to ship a robotic investigation , or rover , to travel 500 time ( 1,640 invertebrate foot ) on the lunar control surface , and the first troupe to do so will receive a prize of $ 20 million . Second place get $ 5 million , and there are various othertechnical bonus , such as traveling further .
Moon Express hopes to gain by “ hopping ” their lander across the surface with thrusters . They have plans to launch with little - lie with Los Angeles company Rocket Labs USA in 2017 , which has yet to actually fly a rocket . SpaceIL , meanwhile , has a contract to found on the more steadfastly established SpaceX ’s Falcon 9 Eruca vesicaria sativa , also in 2017 . This intend there is a slender possible action that the two teams will go headland - to - head in the race to travel 500 meters across the surface of the Moon – but Moon Express may now have a svelte edge .
