Commoonity into space!

c-base Open Moon Group enters Google Lunar X-Prize!

Berlin, 1st of October 2009

Today the c-base Open Moon Group (COM Group) announces its entrance into the race to the moon, hosted by the Google Lunar X-Prize (GLXP). The COM Group is an association of small and medium enterprises and space enthusiasts to win the $20 million first prize of the GLXP. The COM Group consists of scientists and business consultants, who started to mobilize the german web community as well as the political, economical and technological elite in Berlin and beyond for the idea to return to the Moon and thereby definitely open Space for private economic exploration as well as for all mankind. The COM Group is based in the c-base, a well known hacker-space in Berlin.

The GLXP is a competition started in 2007, similar to the Ansari X-Prize, for the advancement of private Space exploration. Host is once again the X-Prize Foundation of Peter Diamandis. The purse is a total of $30 million, sponsored by Google Inc. First Prize is to win by completing the following tasks: land safely on the moon, make 500 meters on the surface and send the so called mooncast (c.f. GLXP website) back to a station on earth.

The COM Group has committed itself to put together bit by bit the links of the technological chain which are necessary to accomplish the mission. Therefore the COM Group has three major tasks: project management, fund-raising and propaganda.

We believe that the Google Lunar X Prize is an excellent way to motivate companies and Space-enthusiasts of all kind by showing the enormous potentials and implications of private Space exploration. It’s time to accomplish the mission which began 40 years ago with the first landing on the Moon. The door into Space was pushed wide open in those days by the thousands who worked for the Apollo program. Now we want to join the trek back.

Although this is a race, and as such a spirit of competition and rivalry is anticipated, due to the exceptional goals we are all committed to, we feel like in a very special community of like-minded people. Therefore the COM Group wishes all the best and good luck to all the other competitors. We hope that we can embrace you all one day here in Berlin.

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