Free Enterprise Out of This World

"After close consultation with our five finalist Google Lunar X Prize teams over the past several months, we have concluded that no team will make a launch attempt to reach the moon by the March 31, 2018, deadline."
"This literal 'moonshot' is hard, and while we did expect a winner by now, due to the difficulties of fundraising, technical and regulatory challenges, the grand prize of the $20M Google Lunar X Prize will go unclaimed."
"As a result of this competition, we have sparked the conversation and changed expectations with regard to who can land on the moon. Many now believe it's no longer the sole purview of a few government agencies, but now may be achieved by small teams of entrepreneurs, engineers, and innovators from around the world."
"X Prize is exploring a number of ways to proceed from here. This may include finding a new title sponsor to provide a prize purse following in the footsteps of Google's generosity, or continuing the Lunar X Prize as a noncash competition where we will follow and promote the teams and help celebrate their achievements."
Peter Diamandis, founder, chairman -- Marcus Shingles, CEO, Google Lunar X Prize competition

No private teams will meet the deadline of March 31, 2018 to launch a rover to the lunar surface, bringing the Google Lunar X Prize to an end. Credit: NASA

"The competition was a sweetener in the landscape of our business case, but it's never been the business case itself. We continue to focus on our core business plans of collapsing the cost of access to the moon, our partnership with NASA, and our long-term vision of unlocking lunar resources for the benefit of life on Earth and our future in space."
Bob Richards, CEO, Moon Express

"SpaceIL is committed to landing the first Israeli spacecraft on the moon, regardless of the terms or status of the Lunar X Prize."
"We are at the height of our efforts to raise the funds for this project and to prepare for launch."
Ryan Greiss, Space IL spokesman

Five remaining teams were still competing to win the Lunar XPrize's $30 million grand prize. Pictured, a rendering of team Moon Express' spacecraft. U.S.-based Moon Express had secured a contract with the Federal Aviation Administration to send its payload to the Moon

It was a challenge that intrigued and motivated the entrepreneurial spirit of space enthusiasts, astrophysicists and astronomers; private enterprise would have no problem matching the ability of governments to attract the engineering professionalism it would take to design and put together a spacecraft the equal of anything that could be produced for government. Perhaps without fully appreciating that governments of economically advanced nations have the financial wherewithal to invest in military-space enterprise given their expertise in draining public funds from their captive donors, the universal taxpayer.

But they gave it a good go from the moment all the fanfare accompanied the competition financed by Google that emerged in 2007. Ten years have gone by since that announcement when the Google Lunar X-Prize competition was announced alongside the temptation of a $20-million acknowledgment for the winning team that could produce the first privately funded space venture to arrive at the moon. Ten years, it appears, was not enough; like producing a Hollywood film one must first secure the financing. Then the professional expertise that goes into an imaginative enterprise of this kind can proceed.

There were originally over 25 teams jostling for space as entrants to the competition. Gradually there was a drop-off until there were but five remaining. They were Moon Express, in Cape Canaveral, Florida; Space IL in Israel; TeamIndus in India; Hakuto in Japan; and Synergy Moon representing an international collaboration of hopefuls. By 2017's end, Space IL and TeamIndus both were in the frustrating position of acknowledging that their fundraising prospects had run adrift. As for the Hakuto team, no problem -- by December they had $90-million in the kitty.

As for Moon Express its funding was secure finally, but the inconvenient fact was that it had not yet fully completed construction of its new facility to assemble its lander. As for the progress recognized by Synergy Moon, that data appears to be not available for public comment, portending some problems in their aspirational end of the competition. Originally the deadline to launch was stated to be 2014's end; then extended to 2015, again to 2016, and finally to 2017.

Then in summer of 2017 the foundation once again proffered a final change; the winning team would have until the end of March to complete its mission, and no additional extensions past that point would be contemplated; finis. And finished it is, the competition is over, there has been no successful rocket launch, no winner proudly standing on the lunar surface, no !Wow! photos beamed back for the admiration and amazement of all onlookers.

There may be disappointment in the hearts of the challengers, but there is also in equal measure, determination to go on. Prize money withdrawn no deterrent. It would, in any event represent a relative portion of what it would take to see each of these enterprises to fruition.  Space Il, TeamIndus and Hakuto are all prepared to continue their exertions to succeed in advancing their spacecraft to the moon. Astrobotoc Technology of Pittsburgh and PTScientists, based in Berlin, two teams that had previously dropped out also mean to continue their development of moon vehicles.

Moon Express most certainly hoped it would come out the competition's clear winner, since it would fit neatly into their plan to make a business of their investment in moon landings through the provision of reliable transportation to move payloads to the moon. So, sad as it is that the entire enterprise which seemed so excitingly doable and enticingly competitive occasioning bettors to contribute their own vibes, the show will go on.

Actually it already has. China landed its Chang'e3 spacecraft on the moon in 2013, while China and India are both busy with plans to land robotic missions in 2018 on the moon. Which, it certainly appears, is going to become a very crowded Earth-satellite indeed, in the relatively near future.