Nobody will win the Google Lunar X-Prize

[lpetrich]

It’s official: no one is going to win the Google Lunar X Prize competition - The Verge

No one is going to win the X Prize Foundation’s competition to send a spacecraft to the Moon, the foundation announced today. Only five finalists remained in the Google-sponsored Lunar X Prize competition, and in order to win any grand prize money, the teams had to launch and complete their missions to the Moon before March 31st, 2018. But with only two months until the deadline, no team is ready to launch, so Google will keep the prize money instead.

It's for being able to go to the Moon on the cheap.

Landing on the lunar surface was only part of the challenge. Teams had to travel up to 1,640 feet (500 meters) on the Moon too, as well as do live broadcasts. The first to fulfill all these requirements before the deadline would receive $20 million, while the second place team would get $5 million. Other smaller purses would be awarded to teams that did special tasks, such as completing an orbit around the Moon before landing.

However, it was not a total flop.

ven without a winner, the foundation says it is extremely pleased by what the five finalists and other teams have accomplished: raising a combined $300 million for their missions and creating hundreds of jobs in countries such as Israel, India, Malaysia, and Hungary. The X Prize Foundation also awarded more than $6 million for achieving certain milestones throughout the competition, making important technological advancements, or doing exceptional educational outreach. One team, Moon Express, even received regulatory approval from the US government for its mission — the first time that has ever happened for a private mission the Moon.

 

[Malintent]

Its not a very sustainable model when it costs 300 million dollars to make 20 million in prize money.
You eliminate participants that don't value winning a competition at the 280 million dollar level.