From the Google web site, they state:
To win the Google Lunar X PRIZE, a team must successfully land a privately funded craft on the lunar surface and survive long enough to complete the mission goals of roaming about the lunar surface for at least 500 meters and sending a defined data package, called a “Mooncast”, back to Earth.
Here is a link to the google site. http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/
Some people even today think NASA never went to the moon. I do understand a little why some believe this. The US government has been keeping some information about the moon top secret. Some people come to the conclusion that the lack of information means it is fake.
NASA has not released the hi-res pictures from the 1994 Clementine mission which does not make sense. Every NASA related web site either does not have them or the hi-res are all corrupted. I have checked. Here is one link if you are curious. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/mission_index.html
NASA did land on the moon, but after 40 years, what could be on the moon that they would want to keep secret?
This message on Google's site says “Lunar X PRIZE are undergoing a formal vetting process wherein government agencies, space agencies...”
I predict that somehow they will cancel the contest or they will limit the landing area for the rovers.
