To demonstrate low cost exploration of the moon at a cost cut atleast to a factor of ten, an innovative programme invites private participation for a prize money of $30 mn.

Called the Google Lunar X Prize, and sponsored by the X Prixe Foundation and Google Inc, this “robotic race” to the moon will see about 8-10 companies from around the world compete to land a privately funded robotic rover on the moon. The pariticipants will be chosen by an international panel of judges.  The rover should be able to roam the lunar surface for at least 500 metres and send back video images and data back to earth, said Bretton F Alexander, executive director, Space Prizes and Wirefly X prize Cup.

He was addressing the press at the 58th International Astronautical Congress in Hyderabad.