Sorry for the multiple posts -- I'm just too excited to gather all my
ducks before shooting them. Here's the home page for the new prize,
which will probably offer the best information about it:

http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/

Also, according to
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/200709...onsor30million
lunarxprize, a number of support companies are stepping up to make
thingns easier: SpaceX will provide launches either at cost or at a 10%
discount (reports vary), and use of the Allen Telescope Array will
provide downlink service at no cost (!).

So this really amounts to nothing more than a lander, a robot, and $7M
or so for the launch. I'm starting to think my 2010 estimate was too
conservative!

--
"Polywell" fusion -- an approach to nuclear fusion that might actually work.
Learn more and discuss via: http://www.strout.net/info/science/polywell/