NEWS FROM OUTERSPACE

• MoonBots in the Media August 23, 2011
  Over the past weekend, the 20 MoonBots finalists were put to the test as their Lego Moon rovers were required to perform live missions for the judging panel. Teams earned points toward their grand total by carrying out mission objectives (such as finding "water ice" and exploring craters), and were additionally judged on their STEM outreach project […]
  Amanda Stiles
• NASA Centennial Challenge Updates: Sample Return, Nanosat, Green Flight, Tether, More August 23, 2011
  A lot has been happening related to NASA Centennial Challenges in the last few weeks, so here's an update that focuses mainly on them. Some teams are anxious to learn more about the rules and team agreement for the Sample Return Robot Challenge: Update on Challenge Status Update - Sample Return Robot Challenge As you can see, starting a major prize comp […]
  Ray
• About the MTA.. August 19, 2011
  Before I joined the Google Lunar X PRIZE staff, I had heard a great deal about the Master Team Agreement (“MTA”). I’d read the online comments and the associated speculation. Now I’ve had a chance to get to know this document, I can provide a perspective for you. Before I get into some specifics, it’s worth addressing why we have an MTA. In a nutshell, it is […]
  Alex H
• More MOONBOTS AND STEM August 18, 2011
  We are very excited to share the last examples of STEM projects that our MoonBots teams have completed. Teams have worked with their local communities, online communities and around the world! Please help spread the word about these incredible projects. LEGO Aces and their live “Drive a Rover” online program. Pi in the Sky and their STEM outreach all over th […]
  Chanda Gonzales
• Rover Video Roundup August 17, 2011
  The past couple of months have kept me busy working on the new Google Lunar X PRIZE website, and Chanda has been keeping students busy this summer building MoonBots (finals are this weekend!). But what have the GLXP teams been up to? Some exciting stuff, from the looks of it. Here are a couple of videos posted recently to give you an idea... White Label Spac […]
  Amanda Stiles
• What are MoonBots Finalists Up To?! August 16, 2011
  A WHOLE LOT! As our teams prepare for their live final lunar science mission rounds, they have also been very busy over the last month working with kids from all over the world. We are extremely impressed with all of the great Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) outreach projects focused around the topic of MoonBots. We love to hear that this Go […]
  Chanda Gonzales
• "X-Files" at the Google Lunar X PRIZE! August 13, 2011
  I had thought about relating a story involving a telescope, a frosty night and a painful injury as my first blog post, but the commentary in the blogosphere this week has raised a few questions and this seems like a good place to address them, even though they may not be as funny as the aforementioned story. First up, I was thrilled to learn from one comment […]
  Alex H
• MoonBots Reloaded August 9, 2011
  We want to share some exciting news with all of you MoonBots enthusiasts. Landroids, the Grand PRIZE Winner of the 2010 MoonBots Challenge has been up to some pretty amazing and inspiring things this summer. The Google Lunar X PRIZE wants to commend this team for its dedication to STEM Education! You guys are great! We can not thank you enough for all that y […]
  Chanda Gonzales
• NewSpace 2011 - Quick Download August 4, 2011
  The Google Lunar X PRIZE team spent a few days of last week in Mountain View, CA at the NewSpace 2011 conference -- an annual conference put on by the Space Frontier Foundation. This is an annual gathering of great minds who are passionate about/involved in current and upcoming commercial space activities. If you're looking to hang out with the likes of […]
  Amanda Stiles
• MoonBots 2.0 Play List Now Available! August 2, 2011
  All of the MoonBots Team Finalists Videos are now in one collection! Show your support and tell a friend about this awesome playlist.Video Categories:• How can robots influence future space missions, including missions to the moon?• Who is your favorite Google Lunar X PRIZE Team and why?• Who is your favorite Space Explorer and why?• Why is Science, Technolo […]
  Chanda Gonzales
• GIRL Time! The Google Lunar X PRIZE partners with the Girl Scouts. July 22, 2011
  Many of you may have read in previous posts here on the Launch Pad about the work we have done with the Boy Scouts. Well, it's GIRL Time now. In preparation for the Girl Scout Centennial Anniversary in 2012, the Google Lunar X PRIZE is getting to know the Girl Scouts and having a whole lot of fun in the process. From supporting troops involved in the FI […]
  Chanda Gonzales
• Prize Roundup: 100kft Prize, Crater Finder, Sample Agreement, AIAA Booster Plane, Debris Removal, and Prop Depot Designs, More July 15, 2011
  The Carmack 100kft Micro Prize - Armadillo Aerospace - Currently one launch attempt is scheduled, the Proteus 7 sounding rocket, at the Tripoli Rocket Association's Black Rock Desert high power rocket event. NASA Tournament Lab: Open Innovation On-Demand - OSTP Blog discusses NASA's prize and open innovation work, including the recent NASA Tourname […]
  Ray
• Thank you !!! July 14, 2011
  I want to personally thank my GLXP Team and all the X PRIZE Foundation staff that made this last Google Lunar X PRIZE Team summit a success. It was a pleasure to get to know all the new teams and to refresh the relationships with our oldest team members.I would also like to extend our many thanks and sincere appreciation to all the folks at the SETI Institut […]
  Nicole Jordan ( Nicky J Rocket Girl)
• GLXP Team Summit Kicks Off + New Senior Director Appointed July 11, 2011
  Today is a big day for the Google Lunar X PRIZE -- our annual Team Summit has kicked off at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, CA. The room is filled with both new and familiar faces of nearly every team entered in the competition, plus our Google rep (Tiffany Montague), Peter Diamandis, and the X PRIZE staff. This includes the most recent addition to the […]
  Amanda Stiles
• GLXP Team Summit Around The Corner July 8, 2011
  The Google Lunar X PRIZE team here at HQ has *definitely* been keeping busy lately -- we have a lot of great news to share, including our announcement of the 20 finalist teams of the MoonBots competition this past Wednesday (check out these amazing young lunar robotics fans when you have a chance!), and we have some other VERY exciting news that we'll s […]
  Amanda Stiles
• Twenty Finalists Named in “MoonBots 2.0” Educational Contest July 6, 2011
  The Google Lunar X PRIZE and LEGO Group are pleased to announce the twenty finalists for MoonBots 2.0, a global educational contest. Top 20 Finalists 2011 LEGO Odyssey- California, US Anthem-a-Tronics- Arizona, US DragonBots- Santiago, Chile Iron Reign- Texas, US LegoAces- Ohio, US Lehi Moonstormers- Utah, US Lunar LegoBots- Tennessee, US Lunar Lords- Washin […]
  Chanda Gonzales
• MoonBots Phase 2: We Have Lift Off! June 28, 2011
  Yesterday -- Monday, June 27 -- marked the exciting kick off of Phase 2 of the MoonBots competition, a student contest where teams build and program LEGO MINDSTORMS robots to navigate a LEGO lunar surface to meet mission objectives. Phase 2 already?! What happens now? We're glad you asked! First of all, registration for the competition closed on June 26 […]
  Amanda Stiles
• Prize Roundup: Heinlein Prize, International Rocketry Challenge, CanSat winners, SEDS Conference, More June 27, 2011
  Heinlein Prize Honors Elon Musk of SpaceX - Heinlein Prize Trust 06/16/2011: Swing Test - SpeedUp NASA And DARPA Offer Students Chance To Support Future Missions - NASA - This is for the Zero Robotics competition using floating SPHERES platforms on the International Space Station The CanSat Competition has posted their 2011 Competition Winners and 2011 Cansa […]
  Ray
• Hurry UP! MoonBots Registration Closes this Weekend- June 26th June 24, 2011
  We want to remind everyone that MoonBots 2.O closes this Sunday, June 26th. So help spread the word, or better yet, register a team. Every member will receive a cool retro LEGO spaceman key chain and has the opportunity to move on to Phase Two of the competition. And did we mention that the winning team will receive a VIP trip to the grand opening of LEGOLan […]
  Chanda Gonzales
• A GLXP Adventure in Microgravity June 21, 2011
  On an ordinary work day last December, my email client chimes and a message appears with an intriguing subject line: “Zero G”. I blink as I read the note -- are my eyes deceiving me? In front of me is a request to fly as a journalist for a NASA microgravity student team. With fingers typing at speeds that likely almost break the sound barrier, I reply, “Of c […]
  Amanda Stiles