Here is an object lesson on how to turn an apparent misfortune into an exciting opportunity.
For the past few days, the press in the US has been crying about the death of their space program and how NASA has no more opportunities in the future and the great space adventure in dead. But now a new approach to this lack of public funds for Nasa has emerged. Spurred by a $30 million purse, put up by Google, 29 teams have signed up for a competition to become the first private venture to land on the Moon.
Like the aviation prizes that jump-started airplane technology a century ago, the Google Lunar X Prize is meant to rally the enthusiasm of technologists and entrepreneurs around the world. It is administered by the X Prize Foundation, which in 2004 handed out $10 million to the first private team to build a spacecraft that could carry people 60 miles above the Earth’s surface. (The winner, SpaceShipOne, was built by the aerospace designer Burt Rutan with backing from Paul Allen, the software magnate.)
This approach to solving problems, bypassing the government and in some cases using the government infrastructure in a innovative way, is something that we need to encourage in our own societies. Take another example: the US government's new approach to improving education by creating a competition for "Race to the top". Here the states are encouraged to compete annually for a pot of money, provided by the US government, for plans to improve education in the state which requires all parties to agree to work together. The "Race to the moon" follows the same approach -finding innovative approaches to problem solving by mobilizing external groups and communities. Who knows what new ideas may emerge?
I wonder if some Indian company can sponsor competitions of this nature for the various problems we face- from space travel to curbing local corruption, from improving poorly funded schools in villages to cleaning urban concentrations, from accelerating local innovation to improving science education.. Certainly the business houses can spend their money more productively than building $ 1 billion multistoried building to house four people!
For the past few days, the press in the US has been crying about the death of their space program and how NASA has no more opportunities in the future and the great space adventure in dead. But now a new approach to this lack of public funds for Nasa has emerged. Spurred by a $30 million purse, put up by Google, 29 teams have signed up for a competition to become the first private venture to land on the Moon.
Like the aviation prizes that jump-started airplane technology a century ago, the Google Lunar X Prize is meant to rally the enthusiasm of technologists and entrepreneurs around the world. It is administered by the X Prize Foundation, which in 2004 handed out $10 million to the first private team to build a spacecraft that could carry people 60 miles above the Earth’s surface. (The winner, SpaceShipOne, was built by the aerospace designer Burt Rutan with backing from Paul Allen, the software magnate.)
For the Moon competition, Google put up $30 million. Of that, $20 million will go to the first team to land a spacecraft on the Moon, explore 500 meters and send back high-definition video and photos by 2015. The second team will win $5 million, and the remaining $5 million will pay for bonus prizes like surviving a frigid lunar night or traveling more than 5,000 meters on the surface.
Twenty nine teams have signed up till date for this competion. Among them Naveen Jain, an Internet billionaire and a founder of Moon Express, who says his company will spend $70 million to $100 million to try to win the Google Lunar X Prize, but could recoup its investment on its first flight. He envisions selling exclusive broadcast rights for video from the Moon, as well as sponsorships, á la Nascar, for companies to put their logos on the lander.
Twenty nine teams have signed up till date for this competion. Among them Naveen Jain, an Internet billionaire and a founder of Moon Express, who says his company will spend $70 million to $100 million to try to win the Google Lunar X Prize, but could recoup its investment on its first flight. He envisions selling exclusive broadcast rights for video from the Moon, as well as sponsorships, á la Nascar, for companies to put their logos on the lander.
I wonder if some Indian company can sponsor competitions of this nature for the various problems we face- from space travel to curbing local corruption, from improving poorly funded schools in villages to cleaning urban concentrations, from accelerating local innovation to improving science education.. Certainly the business houses can spend their money more productively than building $ 1 billion multistoried building to house four people!
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