Google and Israel May Be Heading to the Moon

5 minute read

Tired of waiting for NASA to get its Apollo-era mojo back and start putting spacecraft on the lunar surface again? Then you’ll be happy to know that Israel—with some help from Google—is about to show the moon a little love.

At a 12:45 PM press conference in Jerusalem today (5:45 AM ET), Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, along with representatives of Google and SpaceIL, a nonprofit Israeli space engineering company, announced that SpaceIL is the first of 16 contestants in Google’s Lunar XPrize competition to formalize its plans to land a private spacecraft on the moon before the end of 2017.

To claim the $20 million jackpot, the winner must not just land (intact, please), but travel at least 500 meters (547 yds.) and send back video and high definition pictures. The second place finisher gets $5 million; incentive bonuses totaling another $5 million are available for such achievements as surviving a lunar night (which lasts 14 Earth days) and visiting an Apollo landing site.

All of the finalists are required to have a verified launch contract in hand by Dec. 31, 2016 to remain in the running. SpaceIL checked that box by inking a deal with Spaceflight Industries, a U.S. space services company that recently bought a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and will launch the moon probe as one part of a multiple-cargo payload.

“Only three countries have soft-landed a rover on the surface of the moon: the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China,” said SpaceIL CEO Eran Privman in a statement accompanying the announcement. “Now the notion of the small state of Israel being added to this exclusive list looks more promising than ever.”

The SpaceIL probe is a three-legged machine roughly the size of a dishwasher. It lacks wheels, which ought to make the mandatory 500 meters of travel difficult, but Google never specified that the spacecraft had to drive. SpaceIL instead plans to cover the half-kilometer distance by conserving enough fuel in its descent engine to hop where it needs to go after it first touches down. The relative simplicity of both that flight profile and the spacecraft itself is a big plus for a lunar first-timer like SpaceIL, but the group has a long way to go before it cashes that $20 million check.

Landing on the moon, as the U.S. discovered back in the 1960s, isn’t easy. The first American spacecraft to reach the lunar surface was Ranger 7, in July of 1964—but only after Rangers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 failed before it. What’s more, the Rangers were attempting a crash landing—a suicide plunge with a high-speed camera firing all the way. NASA didn’t achieve a soft-landing until 1966, when Surveyor 1 landed in the Ocean of Storms. (One good portent for SpaceIL: Surveyor 1 bounced after it landed—but not 500 meters.)

Getting to the lunar neighborhood in the first place isn’t easy either—especially when the clock is ticking. Deadlines slip, costs exceed estimates, hardware fails, boosters never make it to orbit—as SpaceX itself discovered in June when an unmanned cargo rocket it was sending to the International Space Station exploded just two and a half minutes after takeoff.

SpaceIL probably has a comfortable money cushion. Its major contributors and fundraisers are the Kahn Foundation and the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Foundation. Sheldon Adelson is the Las Vegas casino mogul who is better known for his big-ticket bankrolling of Republican presidential candidates. Still, space is expensive—more so even than presidential politics—and any well can run dry after a while.

What’s more, just because SpaceIL is first out of the gate doesn’t mean it will have the track to itself. The other 15 competitors have more than a year to book their liftoff tickets. Even if no one else qualifies, however, SpaceIL will still be involved in a different kind of competition.

“The worst case scenario is that we have just one competitor, but the race will go on,” says Chanda Gonzales, Google’s senior XPrize director. “They’re racing against time to get their engineering done and they’re racing against capital too.”

If there’s any part of the XPrize program that critics argue Google needs to re-think—and still has time to rethink—it’s the business of trying to go anywhere near the six Apollo landing sites. Moves have been made to bring the sites under the protection of the U.S. National Register of Historical Places or add them to the UNESCO World Heritage List. But if reaching even ordinary international accord is difficult, try throwing in another whole world.

NASA requests that lunar visitors observe a no-go radius of 0.5 km (0.3 mi.) around any spacecraft impact site, and 2 km (1.25 mi.) around a soft landing site—manned or unmanned—and Google promises to honor that. But space flight isn’t target shooting, and even with astronauts at the controls a landing zone is just an approximate thing. Thinking that a newbie like SpaceIL could touch down within just 500 meters of an Apollo site without the risk of going awry and wrecking Neil Armstrong’s flag on the way down is hubris of the first order. Better to avoid that possibility altogether and take that incentive off the table.

If Google will do that, the company will have an all-but perfect contest on its hands. The odds of anyone actually winning may be lousy, but it’s all upside—in terms of both technology and inspiration—if somebody somehow does.

‘To the Moon and Back.’ See LIFE’s Complete Special Issue on Apollo 11

Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. July 20, 1969: "Neil Armstrong's booted foot pressed firmly in the lunar soil. . . ."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "In orbit 63 miles high the Lunar Module approaches the landing zone."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "The Eagle has landed."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Buzz Aldrin eased down Eagle's ladder, paused on the last rung and jumped the final three feet."LIFE Magazine
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Aldrin's gold visor mirrored Eagle and Armstrong, who took most of these pictures."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Aldrin walked from the Lunar Module to set up two experimental packages — the laser beam reflector and the seisometer."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Adrin made final adjustments to the seisometer, left behind to monitor possible moon quakes. Earlier he unfurled the 'solar wind sheet,' designed to trap tiny particles hurled from the distant Sun."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Nine hours after his arrival, man had littered the moonscape with his paraphernalia."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "On the windless plain Aldrin saluted the American flag, stiffened with wire so that it would 'wave'. . . ."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Eagle landed 125 feet west of a rock strewn-crater, several feet deep and 80 feet across."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Left: Aldrin inspected the condition of the Lunar Modules footpad. Right: The view from Eagle's window after the walk."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "The simplest mark of man's first visit — footprints in the fine moon sand."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "As seen at some distance from Columbia, Eagle rolled left and closed for rendezvous 69 miles above moon ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Eagle turned its docking port towards Columbia moments before hookup. earth is in upper right corner of large picture ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Tired but triumphant Armstrong got ready for the trip back ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Left:The plaque left behind with the Lunar Module's descent stage. Right: Aldrin, Collins and Armstrong — heroes of history's greatest exploration ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Three kids bound for the moon. From left: Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Neil Armstrong: He could fly before he could drive ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Despite a relentless schedule Armstrong sometimes found moments for normal family life ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Away from work Armstrong enjoyed a few frivolous moments ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin: 'The best scientific mind in space' ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Aldrin is like most astronauts, an exercise buff who spends nearly an hour a day keeping fit ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Aldrin with his wife and daughter ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Mike Collins: An engineer who does not love machines ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Before the moon flight Collins spent time at home with his family ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Collins with his wife and daughter ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "A Calendar of Space Flight: Man's Countdown for the Moon ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "A Calendar of Space Flight: Man's Countdown for the Moon ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "A Calendar of Space Flight: Man's Countdown for the Moon ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
LIFE magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "A Calendar of Space Flight: Man's Countdown for the Moon ..."LIFE Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Unlocking the ancient mysteries of the Moon ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Anatomy of the Lunar Receiving Lab ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "What the Moon Samples Might Tell Us ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "What the Moon Samples Might Tell Us ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "So long to the good old moon ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "So long to the good old moon ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "The dawn of the day man left his planetary cradle. Right: Armstrong led the way from gantry to spacecraft ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Apollo 11 lifts off ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Journalists — nearly 3,500 of them from the U.S. and 55 other countries -- watched in hushed expectant awe as Apollo began its slow climb skyward ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Jan Armstrong raised a hand to ward off the bright morning sun and watched her husband's spacecraft rear toward a rendezvous with the moon ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "At Disneyland (left) hundreds gave up 'moon rides' to watch the real thing. While in Manhattan people cheered and worried in front of huge TV screens. Las Vegas casino crowds paused over Baccarat (below) and passengers jammed a waiting room at JFK airport (right) to watching Armstrong's walk ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "The moonwalk was broadcast live in London (left) and other world capitals, although Moscow viewers (right) had to wait several hours for an edited version. Pope Paul got a telescopic close-up of the moon, while South Koreans clamored around a 20-foot-square TV screen. GIs read of lunar adventure ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Andy Aldrin watched with grim determination as his father set foot on the moon, while at the Collins home Pat and friends followed the walk on two television sets. Joan Aldrin collapsed on the floor in happy relief when Eagle lifted safely off the moon ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "The fiery sideshow as Apollo comes home ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "The capsule was first righted by floatation bags. Then as astronauts in special insulation suits watched, frogmen scrubbed it down with disinfectant. (right). Apollo crew waved as they entered quarantine aboard [the recovery ship] the USS Hornet ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "In Houston the splashdown joy was personal and intense. NASA workers leaped from their consoles waving flags, and at home Jan Armstrong (below left) beamed and sighed in relief. Joan Aldrin applauded as Buzz Aldrin struggled into the raft and Pat Collins served champagne to a house full of happy friends ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "Armstrong, Collins and Aldrin grinned jubilantly from inside their quarantine chamber on the carrier Hornet before their flight home to Houston ..."Life Magazine
Neil Armstrong Apollo 11
Life magazine Special Edition, August 11, 1969. "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind ..."Life Magazine

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Write to Jeffrey Kluger at jeffrey.kluger@time.com