We are the Google Lunar X PRIZE. A $30 million competition for the first privately funded team to land a robot on the moon! Ask us anything!

$30 million doesn't even buy a rocket to get to the moon (even Falcon 9 is $50m). Obviously entrants will have to have other funding or income to compete. Why was $30 million chosen? Was a larger number considered, but rejected due to funding constraints? Or was it to encourage outside business models?

Thank you very much in advance!

One of the main goals of the Google Lunar X PRIZE is to establish a sustainable lunar economy. Putting the prize purse too high can lead to unsustainable designs. The $20 million grand prize we felt was a good number to spark interest in creating a new industry and to promote a sustainable business. When this is all done, I think you will be surprised and how little the overall mission costs are for the Google Lunar X PRIZE compared to traditional lunar missions.

Thank you!

NP

The idea of a prize is to encourage, not fund a project. The goal being a multiplicative effect on each dollar. The original x-prize was 10 million to "build and launch a spacecraft capable of carrying three people to 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface, twice within two weeks".

This.

[deleted]

A fast look at the Dnepr page in Wikipedia indicates that it can bring 550 kg to Trans Lunar Injection orbit (with the 4th stage). A braking operation is then needed to get to lunar orbit, and then a landing operation. A rough estimate would be a need for a delta V of 2400 m/s. Rocket fuel and motor (of a 5th stage) would then have to stay within those 550 kg, together with the mass of the lunar rover.

A rough estimate would be a need for a delta V of 2400 m/s.

2400 m/s delta V under 550 kg? Well, sadly, this is the best that I could do, which leaves about 40 kg for the rover. Nevertheless, I think Jebediah would approve the plan!

I was expecting a Pawn Stars pic, but you definitely outdid my expectations sir.

One of us. One of us.

You have no idea.

Google. My hot pocket package got ripped in the midst of frantically trying to consume "food". How long should I microwave it?

There is no correct answer the this. The result is always arctic temperature or molten magma. So sorry.

Hi, this is Palle from the Euroluna Team. Thought I would say hello, and see how this goes!

I love logging onto Reddit and seeing all these Rocket scientists and other amazing people just casually chatting among themselves from time to time.

I know right? It's like "oh nothing. just discussing the future of humanity"

Yeah, it's funny to see one of the team member say they were still getting the hang of reddit and accidentally replied to the wrong comment, in contrast with building rockets. Serves as a reminder that we're all human.

Edit: I reread their comment, turns out it was Reddit's fault, not theirs. Welp, guess they're gods after all.

Continue being godlike, scientists. Carry on.

Hey Palle! Thanks for joining us!

PLEASE HIRE ME RIGHT NOW. I WILL DO ANYTHING. I HAVE IDEAS AND THINGS.

First order of duty: Upvote everyone in this thread.

Seriously though. How can I work for you?

Apply!

http://www.xprize.org/about/job-opportunities

First off, I think this is a very cool competition. Are there any updates about protecting the historically significant sites up there while letting people see them again?

Ah, good question. The GLXP competition has engaged with NASA and our teams about the Apollo and Lunar Heritage sites on the moon. We are taking the proper steps to ensure that these sites are protected and maintained for scientific analysis. Although some of our prizes focus around documenting these sites, guidelines (such as distance requirements) have been set to ensure their conservation.

It would be cool if there were Moon rovers that we could follow on Live tv. It seems odd that we have a Mars rover we can tune into but not a Moon rover. Live HD Moon Stream, I'd watch it!

That was one of our original visions.

Do you play Kerbal Space Program?

I have played it before, yes.

Me and my team are creating a rocket in our barn and we estimate it will take $10,000. I don't know why people feel the need to spend $30 million on a project that can be done for so much cheaper. I mean, seriously, the moon is really close and this project is really not that difficult. The US government did this 45 years ago for only $7 billion dollars.. with inflation that's like $12,000.

Our extremely high tech lander will blow these other behemoths out of the water.

See you at the award ceremony.

http://static1.fjcdn.com/comments/This+image+is+the+origin+_7b2064773c8d83bfb96e6532cedbe319.jpg

Funnyjunk doesn't support hotlinking - you should find another source.

Its a cat floating on a burrito in space.

This one?

Thats the one!

I would like to see the entire planet align around building a spaceship.

That is all.

Next week sound good?

What is the biggest setback the teams seem to have. The Russians accomplished this almost 55 years ago and the US has done is numerous times in the 1960's. Technology then compared to today was laughable. Why is it not easy for teams to be able to accomplish this cheaper and faster than they did 50 years ago? The technology and know-how is already there.

BTW, I think this is the greatest contest ever.

When NASA was going to the Moon 40 some years ago, they had the intelligence and bank account of an entire country, but today with the Google Lunar X PRIZE we are pushing to make the same thing happen with a small group of privately funded individuals. Although we have “been there and done that” we are trying to do it in a totally new way. The Google Lunar X PRIZE is really about bringing space to your garage.

How many teams are seriously pursuing the prize?

Originally there were 33 teams, but after mergers, acquisitions and withdrawals, there are currently 23 active teams.

It's legit. Virgin Galactic just verified on their twitter page. https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/309738153487503360

Oh yeah? Tell Virgin Galactic them to give us free flights.

[deleted]

The next few months will be very exciting indeed. At the end of March we will be hosting our yearly international team summit, where all the teams fly in and discuss that status of the GLXP and meet and greet with each other. Big news is generally revealed at these conferences as well as mergers announced. The deadlines to get serious about launches are rapidly approaching and teams will need to buckle down more than ever now so it would be safe to say it will be an interesting year.

Of the teams competing in the GLXP, the earliest launch date has been slated for 2014 so China is scheduled to beat our teams this year, but they are still a government agency, as opposed to our private teams.

Why would you offer the prize for landing on the moon, instead of some of the other milestones in space that would also be important advancements (like, landing on an asteroid, or something like that).

Developing prizes is a complex process. We want to make sure that the prize is sufficiently difficult that new and innovative methods for success can be used, while still not being too far out. Although landing on the Moon is not new, it has only been accomplished by government entities. This is a good stepping stone for a private group to refine the technology and innovate new ways to accomplish the same task so that it can be applied for commercial use. The incentive prize is set high enough to attract those who are interested in developing this technology but not high enough to be considered profitable by big corporations, thus inspiring the spirit of enterprise for a new niche economy.

Prizes have quite the history of encouraging innovation. What are some of your favorite prizes from the past? What do you see challenging us in the future?

Obviously we are big fans of Ansari, as it helped start the suborbital space flight industry. Some of the other cool prizes to look into are the Orteig Prize, won by Charles Lindbergh for flying from New York to Paris in 1927, and the Longitude Prize awarded for a practical method for determining a ships longitude in the 1700’s.

X PRIZE is always addressing the “grand challenges” of the world. Things like literacy, genome sequencing, and mobile health are all currently active prizes and we are looking to add more to our list every day.

Might I ask the purpose behind Google sponsoring this expedition? Is it simply to help spur the advancement of science? Does you guys expect any return from it? Either way I think it's fantastically cool and I can't wait to see how it goes.

We think space is great (everyone at GLXP, including our CEO Peter Diamandis and president Robert Weiss are humungous space fans) but it really requires a strong kick to get it rolling. It' s expensive and difficult and unless there is someone with a lot of money and desire, like our heroes at SpaceX, there is not much incentive for smaller groups to attempt this task. The GLXP offers that platform. It's a chance for businesses to arise under a very public contest which can attract investors and offer the potential for an entire industry to spawn at a much more accelerated rate. Maybe one team doesnt have the resources to complete a rover, but they built an amazing lander. They now have many other companies and teams across the globe who are aware of this and, through commerce and partnerships, an new economy and market is born with the mission of commercializing space. Regardless of winning, every team involved has the potential to raise awareness and become a trailblazer in a new industry.

how horrified would everyone be if one of the contestants accidentally slammed into the original lunar lander site?

Well, considering that's like landing a mini cooper on a baseball field from another planet without a team of engineers that devoted the greater part of a decade to achieving the exact opposite result, it would be quite a feat. Assuming it somehow it DID happen, someone won't be getting any cookies and and ice cream, that's for sure.

I like the idea of encouraging moon expeditions, but why robots? Are you sure it's a good idea to be encouraging robots on the moon.

As we all know, it's only a matter of time before they make their move to take over the earth. I wouldn't think we would want to give them any advantages.

Wait a minute..., You guys wouldn't be robots by any chance, would you?

This question does not compute. Next question please.

I thought it was 20 million?

Were you guys originally Google employees or some contracted employees specifically assigned to this project?

$20 million is the first place prize. We actually have up to $30 million is total prizes for completing various missions and coming in second place.

We are the X PRIZE Foundation and we are funded by Google to run this competition. X PRIZE is a leader in incentive based competition and it lends itself well to ground breaking technology and exploration.

People love space and rockets, but have really short attention spans.

Is it difficult for you to get (and keep) eyes on what you are doing and the teams that are involved?

Also, what is the coolest video of something (blowing up?) one of the teams has done so far?

Yeah, keeping people is difficult because no one is launching yet. The real hardcore audience is tech enthusiasts who find all the technical and hardware related updates interesting. Once the teams start launching I think things will get very publicly enticing. It's also tough when you have such amazing things happening around you like a Mars Landing and commercial birthing with the ISS but those same events bring attention to space overall.

This is out hardware reel and somewhere in there, there is an explosion lol. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI0idL4g2b4&feature=player_embedded

why the moon? Why not Mars?

The Moon is a foothold in space. Mars will come later. It is not only difficult but also insanely expensive. Although we've been to the moon, it's far from standard fare. Let's standardize moon travel first and refine the technology before we do something even more difficult.

If teams are not ready to launch is there any possibility to extend the competition beyond 2015?

No. The prize will end at midnight, Dec. 31st. 2015.

Can you just give me $20m? I could probably get us on the moon.

Dear sir/madam,

I have recently come into fortune of $20 million, but need airfare money to retrieve it. Please wire $20,000 so I can get it and split with you.

Prince Eric

ITT: mainly people actually from glxp. It's confusing.

At any rate, I have no questions, but thanks for being most likely the most responsive AMA ever!

No, hey, thank you for checking us out.

How much cheese are you bringing back and can I have some?

"If the moon was made of spare ribs, would ya eat it?" ..... "I know I would, and I'd polish it off with a nice tall Budweiser."

Can you please submit proof? Maybe something from your official twitter or Facebook?

Edit: Thanks! Confirmed via their official Twitter account.

Proof posted.

Thanks! You may want to add it to your intro text so that you don't keep getting asked for it.

It's already up there. =)

I'm here because I think Leo is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

We agree.

As I am currently studying to be a computer engineer I hope these kinds of competitions still exist when I'm done school!

I'm sure X PRIZE will continue putting forth competitions on this level for you to partake in. Good luck with everything!

you guys are awesome

Nuh-uh. You.

This might sound like a stupid question, but Why? I'm aware this is quite an open question, but I think that gives the possibility for a cooler answer :) (Think its a great idea, just want to hear more about it from your perspective)

"Why" is the single hardest question that exists. There are a number of reasons why people think we should go. Financially there are cases to be made in mining the moon. If we can standardize this then we can move on to mining asteroids more easily and that would yield major profit. There is also the case of exploration. You don't know what can come of it until you attempt it. New tech emerges simply from the fact that people are building new tech to try their hand and something that has never been done. Streamlining current technology and new forms of communication are only the surface. So many unknown inventions and discoveries are born from these sorts of expeditions and the development rapidly increases the rate at which we discover and vice versa. Industry is another popular model that coincides with money making. Yes, individuals will become wealthy but many people will have to be employed to complete these tasks and I believe the moon is the perfect "next step" for this kind of expansion of industry.

Would you guys rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or 1 horse-sized duck?

My time has finally come...

I would rather ride on a horse sized duck and fight 100 duck sized horses with a sword sized hammer. If this image was ever drawn for me I would hang it up in my office at X PRIZE and post it for the world to see.

I hear if you say his name 3 times u/shitty_watercolour will show up.

shitty_watercolour

If projects like this continue to be successful what year you would predict the first child to be born in space? The first Star Child, if you will.

In the year two-thousaaaaand...

I worked at X PRIZE when our office was an apartment in 2004! Can you guys post pictures of what it looks like now?

Always good to hear from a fellow old school X PRIZEr! Here's a recent photo they posted of the front lobby of their building...

Hey thats us with team White Label Space!

We post picture to our facebook page pretty frequently so if you snoop around there I'm sure you will find a bunch.

Do you think this is an attainable goal to achieve by 2015? Which group of people do you think will have the most attempts- universities/colleges or independent groups? If an elementary school enters, is that considered privately funded if the students fundraise towards it? Do you have any resources you'd advise people read/watch for more information?

This is a comment/reply from the Euroluna Team in the Glxp competition. From ours side, we can see that the timing is beginning to be very tight. Our plan is to get a test space craft launched January 2014, and the main mission December 2014 or January 2015. To my knowledge, not team has launched yet :) All the teams meets next month, and after that meeting it will be clearer how many teams are still in the running.

That's really cool! Is there a way to follow your progress? Best of luck!

You can visit our website www.googlelunarxprize.org for more information on the prize and the teams themselves. You can also follow us on tiwtter @glxp and facebook

I've been wanting to ask some rocket people this for a long time. Why don't they use jet engines to assist the first stage(s) of a rocket launch?

There are some people looking at using an air breathing first stage. I think the main drawbacks to this are weight and redundancy. If you are using multiple stages it is probably going to be more efficient for you to use similar propulsion types.

Is 30 million really enough to cover the price of going to the moon?

No. All and all its about 25% return but its enough to get people proactive and the real money comes when you have made history and are sought out by investors to market your designs and technology.

Does landing on the moon in KSP count? I feel like the difficulty level is about the same.

It's only worth half as much.

Wait, so you mean I can get $10 million for a Mun landing?

Internet dollars.

If I were to complete this task in a computer game, say, Kerbal Space Program, could I still get some money? My rockets are amazing, I think NASA could benefit from their design.

On your cake day, anything!

My question: How many teams remain in the running for the X Prize? How many started?

23 currently. 33 originally.

Hello, I'm currently a mechanical engineering senior hoping to end up in the aerospace industry very soon so I've got a close eye on the aerospace world.

Do you think there any challenges today's people are facing that didn't exist back in the 60s? If so, what are they?

Technology doesn't seem to be the primary limiting factor keeping people from space exploration these days so what do you think it is? Political will? Money? Lack of public interest?

What do you think it would take to get the public excited about space again like they were in the 60s? Are you hoping to accomplish this with your prize?

Thanks!

Technology is advanced, thats true, but making that technology affordable if definitely one set back. Another along those same lines would be making a case for the development of that technology. Why would I, as an investor spend a small fortune on developing tech to go to the moon unless I either have an intense desire for science, or, I plan on making a profit off of it? it's not an easy answer either but answers do exist and are being promoted solidly in the aerospace world with small steps at a time. The public interest fits in when there is actually stuff happening. Space works on very LONG timelines and its not everyones cup of tea to watch avionics boards being tested. When teams start launching I believe it will make a splash but until then, the challenge is coming up with compelling stories that people, not already involved with these technical fields, can relate too. They do exist though and our teams have amazing stories but struggle in broadcasting them because... well... they are doing rocket science. Hard to do both and maintain a job, but we work very hard to put as much news out there as we can.

See, why couldn't someone like Discovery turn this competition into a reality show of sorts? It would be an interesting competition and could increase public awareness as it goes. I know reality tv isn't everyone's cup of tea, but dammit if they can make bike building competitions interesting for the mass public, why not space travel?

... Who says they aren't? ;)

1) How is it working with Peter Diamandis? 2) Do you ever meet Xprize Board of trustees?

1)What do you think? 2) The X PRIZE board is not generally available for everyday X PRIZE staff but they do make a presence at our Visioneering event.

1)What do you think? 2) They are not generally available to everyday X PRIZE staff but they do make a presence at our Visioneering event.

I don't mean to sound coarse, but why put X in your title name? The Google Lunar Prize conveys just as much meaning without the tacky "it's the future" tag. That being said, you guys are awesome for organizing this and I hope it ends up seeding some truly innovative solutions.

The X is from the history of the X PRIZE Foundation. For the original prize, the Ansari X PRIZE, there was not a sponsor from the beginning, so we just called it the "X" Prize. It has stuck ever since.

You guys are my heroes. I've changed my major to physics and mathematics in hopes of creating machines that travel through space. Do you offer any internships? I'd do anything for such an experience.

I'm not 100% sure on our internship programs but you can probably contact us through our website (www.xprize.org) and find out. Now, you may also want to look into companies like SpaceX or the Mojave dessert labs like X-COR, Virgin Galactic and Maston Space. That's where some really cool rocket science is going on.

Do you know if any of the teams have considered using drop pods to land a rover instead of propulsive landing?

I couldn't say with 100% certainty. Not all teams like to divulge information.

So once the GLXP is over will there be a second one, will you be offering any support to the winning team so they can continue to send rovers to the Moon?

By the way keep up the good work I love what you are doing.

I don't think we will have to. I think, like the Ansari X PRIZE and Virgin Galactic, the winning (and runner-up) technology will be purchased and commercialized by an independent investor.

This is somewhat off topic but I would like to ask you what kind of people you think would do this. I'm looking into studying engineering when I enter college next year, I was in between mechanical, electrical, and aeronautical. I enjoy building computers and rockets and just building in general. Is there anything else I should consider or advice to choose one over the other?

Do what you enjoy, and find a way to use that passion in an industry you want to be in. Don't do something because you think it is the only way to get in. The Space sector needs so many different skills that whatever you pick you can probably find a way to use it in the Industry. On the Google Lunar X PRIZE team we not only have technical experts, but also experts in media, education, marketing, and other areas.

Why is Google hosting a $30 million competition for the moon? What does Google get out of it? Or are you just doing it out of the good of your heart?

Here are some quotes from Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

• “We believe that this kind of contest, and setting an ambitious goal like going to the Moon, is a really good way to improve the state of humanity in the world—and that‘s why we care about this. It’s also going to be a great competition and a lot of fun. … Science has a serious marketing problem. I think this is the best antidote I’ve seen for that: this event and this PRIZE. … I hope that a small, very ambitious team of people will allow us all virtually to go back to the Moon very soon. I could not be more excited about that.” Larry Page

• “We’re proud to sponsor the Google Lunar X PRIZE. … Google is sponsoring this PRIZE because it is really different than any other kind of corporate sponsorship that I’ve seen. It’s really going to accomplish something very, very impressive. … We hope to have helped make private space flight more viable. Efforts like this will stimulate a passion for space-related research and education in a new generation of potential innovators.” Sergey Brin

• “One of the things that really exited me about this project is how it can help with education. I mean, space really fascinates college students, and I think this will inspire a lot of interest in space, in the physics that surrounds it, the math, and the history of the space programs. I think all the interest and attention on this prize is going to be very beneficial to the education of our children. We’re hopeful that our sponsorship of the Lunar X PRIZE will help spark a new generation’s interest in the fields of math, science, and computer science, which should ultimately prove quite beneficial to both the international workforce in general and Google in particular. ” Sergey Brin

Where do you see space travel in the next ten to twenty years? Do you think that it will be a common thing for people to commute to space?

No. Commuting would imply that there is destination to get to. i think that the next 10 to 20 years will yield radical developments, specifically, in lunar colonization. It won't be people at first but rather robots. Imagine, we take a 3d printer up to the moon, beam up designs, and through the use of robots, we start building a base of some sort. I think that in the next 10 to 20 years this is completely feasible but to say we would be commuting would be too much of a commitment. I do think that man will be in space more often to repair and build those bases or devices but it will be in small amounts and on specific missions. I do however believe that with the advent of companies like Virgin Galactic, people will be flying to low earth orbit much more frequently, both for science and recreation.

What is the number 1 thing you guys are all trying to achieve out of this deal?

Building the foundation for a sustainable lunar economy.

Are you actually a redditor? Because your responses are all very, uh, redditor-y.

^{It would be cool to know that it's not just cubicle workers who waste their days on reddit but also rocket scientists.}

We are!

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie pop?

42

Hi guys. Why ONLY $30 million? I mean, I know it is a large amount of cash...but for something like that...I was expecting Google to give away at least $100 million.

It has to be realistic enough to entice small entities but not so large that some industry giant will just blow everyone out of the water with current technology and nothing gets developed. It's about innovation and developing a new industry.

Who is the best at GLXP at eating Moonpies and RC colas?

Well Leo is the best in the office, but young padawan Nathan has strong potential.

Yeah i have a question. Why not give a prize for landing a team of humans on the moon instead of another rover?

Because a commercial landing has never taken place and it wouldn't make sense to land a person before you've proven you can land a robot. One step at a time.

I'm very curious about this: How likely is it (in your opinion) that entrants will construct combat chassis for their lunar robots? Is there any chance that we might be treated to a revitalization of BattleBots... on the moon?!

If so, would the prize go the the victor, or to the first robot to fulfill all of your previously stated requirements?

You're thinking of GLXP2099.

hi guys!

I have a question that doesn't pertain specifically to the Lunar X Prize but maybe similar in idea but much smaller in scale.

How difficult would it be today for say a team of students at MIT, Harvard, Cal Tech, etc. to, with NASA/SpaceX guidance and supervision, send a craft into space, have it orbit the earth, then land safely back onto earth?

I'm really curious to find out if we've advanced technologically to the point in which it's reasonably achievable to design and launch a craft to orbit the earth.

Adding that section on bringing back to Earth makes the task a lot harder. University students are sending up cubesats all the time to gather space data. Bringing something back is not only technically much more challenging, in the US it is also much harder regulation wise in terms of the licensing you need to get.

Something like this may be able to happen. Early satellites took pictures of the Earth and returned the physical film back in order to get processed.

Why exactly are you doing this?

Repeat Answer

""Why" is the single hardest question that exists. There are a number of reasons why people think we should go. Financially there are cases to be made in mining the moon. If we can standardize this then we can move on to mining asteroids more easily and that would yield major profit. There is also the case of exploration. You don't know what can come of it until you attempt it. New tech emerges simply from the fact that people are building new tech to try their hand and something that has never been done. Streamlining current technology and new forms of communication are only the surface. So many unknown inventions and discoveries are born from these sorts of expeditions and the development rapidly increases the rate at which we discover and vice versa. Industry is another popular model that coincides with money making. Yes, individuals will become wealthy but many people will have to be employed to complete these tasks and I believe the moon is the perfect "next step" for this kind of expansion of industry."

Since the prize was announced have there been any advancements made in super-long range communication technology?

Communication to and from the Moon doesn't need much advancement in super-long range communication. In fact we still use cups and string in the office.

What do you guys think about space travel? And is it closer to becoming a reality?

I believe the Google Lunar X PRIZE is a step in making it a common occurrence.

What do you think the next (or first, I suppose, depending on how you look at it) major activity of the private-sector space industry will be? For example, do you think that mining asteroids is in our near future, or do you think that there will be more companies focusing on private space tourism, etc.?

I would say that "space tourism" is a slightly closer future than asteroid mining. I say this because companies like Virgin Galactic and X-COR Aerospace are already finalizing their fleets and tickets are being sold on backorder. With that said, I think that asteroid mining is still relatively close, in terms of space timelines, as a viable business model but it is still in its infancy. The ideas are there but the practice isn't. The funding is still something that needs to be worked on a bit but I believe as technology increases, and commercial agencies succeed more and more that the likelihood of these businesses launching (no pun... hell, pun intended) in our lifetime is a very real thing.

Is this the first step to establishing a Google moon base? :)

I suppose if that is what happens in the future, then yes, this would technically be the first step.

Why isn't the Google Lunar X Prize on Google+?

We are. https://plus.google.com/102997835182088845710/posts

I love people like you folks who keep blowing my mind. Thanks for your hard work, dedication and love of blowing up brains!

No questions are coming to mind, so I will just contemplate if consumer space flight will ever replace atmospheric flight.... ouch, my brain is hurting again!

Hey man, take it easy. Take care of that brain. It could potentially contribute to commercial space one day!

Any Private organizations you have your eye on as a potential competitors that could win the competition?

You can only win the competition if you are a registered team. If someone outside the Google Lunar X PRIZE were to commercial land on the moon, however unlikely that is, then they would not qualify for the prize purse. If a government were to get there first, it wouldn't count because this is a race for the first PRIVATE team to land on the moon.

Can you please show me the most random gif you can find?

Enjoy

http://25.media.tumblr.com/f511c86d5ec0873aa23fccf8c95656ab/tumblr_min5dlnixh1r4xjo2o1_500.gif

landing a robot on the moon? does that mean the original moon landing was faked?

I mean.. it seems like a step backwards, no?

This is a commercial craft soft landing which has never been accomplished before. So no. This is something entirely new and not comparable to the manned moon landing done by NASA.