Team Indus to compete in $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE to send a rover to the Moon

Team Indus is a private entity from India who have set their sights on winning the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE. It will be another step in India's Moon Mission since it has signed a contract with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to send a rover to the lunar surface.
Under the deal, ISRO will extend assistance to Team Indus to launch a spacecraft to the lunar surface using its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) next year.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 2 December 2016.

The launch is scheduled to take place in December 2017 from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Google had announced the competition in 2007 and Team Indus is the only Indian team competing for the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE.
To win the prize, privately-funded teams would have to land their spacecraft on the surface of the Moon, travel 500 metres, and broadcast high definition video, images, and data back to Earth. The team wants to not only win the prize but also wants to plant the flag Indian flag on the Moon surface on Republic Day January 26, 2018.
The mission, also referred to as "Moon 2.0", will make Team Indus the first private entity in the world to soft-land on the surface of the Moon.
Incidentally, the Team Indus Spacecraft has been designed and developed in Bengaluru by a 100-person engineering team that include 20 retired ISRO scientists. Team Indus is the only Asian team left in the race and it will be competing against 29 teams from 17 countries to win the grand prize and an additional prize worth US$5 million.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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