Welcome to a new kind of space race, where the earthly guest will be a machine and the goal is as much exploration as seeking out new business ventures.
The quest is part of <A HREF="http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/06/20/google.lunar.xprize/index.html">the Google Lunar X Prize,</A> which will put $20 million into the hands of the first privately funded team that can land a rover on the moon; have it travel on the surface for 500 meters or more; send back data, photos and video; and do it all by December 31, 2012.
The prize drops to $15 million after that date and goes away altogether after 2014. One of the main requirements is to have as little government involvement in the project as possible.