Indian team among leaders in Google prize to land a craft on the Moon

[Indo-guy]

So they are pretty much doomed.
And the rover and all that camera stuff will alone cost them 34 million dollars??

34 million $ is equal to 200 crores approximately ....it includes 100 crores launch fee to be paid to ISRO ...

My mistake didn't read the very news that I posted completely ....

 

[Developereo]

This is the shit that warms my heart. A poorly funded, rag tag team taking on some of the giants in the business.

Not quite.

They are getting help from the professionals. The only requirement is that the government can't help directly.

L&T is helping by reviewing designs, Sasken has given space in its Bangalore facility for the team to operate out of, several former Isro scientists are providing advice.

 

[jarves]

Not quite.

They are getting help from the professionals. The only requirement is that the government can't help directly.

Yeah they are getting help but it is very less as compared to what other teams are getting.
And seriously from when L&T had experience of such things??

 

[Developereo]

Yeah they are getting help but it is very less as compared to what other teams are getting.

And you know this because ...?
Do you know how much each team is getting help from their country's space organization?
Officially, it's just the former ISRO scientists "offering advice", but we all know how things work in real life.

 

[jarves]

And you know this because ...?
Do you know how much each team is getting help from their country's space organization?
Officially, it's just the former ISRO scientists "offering advice", but we all know how things work in real life.

lol,ok the OP has posted that one of the American company has budget of 90 million dollars.
And this project is more about raising money than technology because......
The most difficult part in this is to make a launch vehicle but as the article says they will use ISRO's PSLV ,and i think that other teams will also use lanch vehicles of there respective countries so this leaves rover and camera stuff which is not too difficult to make.
And this team started one year late also.

I personally think that they will loose this competition.Raising 34 million dollars is not a child's play in a nation facing abject poverty for these type of projects but atleast they are trying.

 

[Developereo]

lol,ok the OP has posted that one of the American company has budget of 90 million dollars.
And this project is more about raising money than technology because......
The most difficult part in this is to make a launch vehicle but as the article says they will use ISRO's PSLV ,and i think that other teams will also use lanch vehicles of there respective countries so this leaves rover and camera stuff which is not too difficult to make.
And this team started one year late also.

I personally think that they will loose this competition.Raising 34 million dollars is not a child's play in a nation facing abject poverty for these type of projects but atleast they are trying.

I agree with you.

My point was that this is not a bunch of "ragtag" nobodies. Each team would have highly qualified people on it, with the relevant background, if not as official members, then as "advisory" supporters.

As for funding, a single rich Indian business partner can fill the funding gap.

 

[jarves]

The teams are not developing technology to get a rocket to the moon; they are all using someone else's technology to get to the moon.

The competition is about landing/moving/imaging once in orbit.

Paying for the ride there is just about raising money, not technical ability. A single rich Indian business partner can fill the funding gap.

If you are talking about this particular Indian team then yes they willl use PSLV but other teams may devlop there own rocket.

Yes and ISRO does not have any experience in making rovers infact the the rover which ISRO will send in 2017 to moon by Chandrayaan 2 will be ready by 2016 so in this field they wont be getting much help.

It is not that much easy as you are making it otherwise so many teams from Germany,Korea,China and Japan wouldnt have left the competition in the first place.

That would be very nice if some rich buisnessman funds it but i doubt it.

I agree with you.

My point was that this is not a bunch of "ragtag" nobodies. Each team would have highly qualified people on it, with the relevant background, if not as official members, then as "advisory" supporters.

As for funding, a single rich Indian business partner can fill the funding gap.

LOL,you edited your post didnt you???

 

[Developereo]

If you are talking about this particular Indian team then yes they willl use PSLV but other teams may devlop there own rocket.

Yes and ISRO does not have any experience in making rovers infact the the rover which ISRO will send in 2017 to moon by Chandrayaan 2 will be ready by 2016 so in this field they wont be getting much help.

It is not that much easy as you are making it otherwise so many teams from Germany,Korea,China and Japan wouldnt have left the competition in the first place.

That would be very nice if some rich buisnessman funds it but i doubt it.


LOL,you edited your post didnt you???

My earlier post was basically agreeing with what you wrote.

As for the other teams dropping out, maybe they were not able to get their country's former space scientists to work in "advisory" roles....

 

[jarves]

As for the other teams dropping out, maybe they were not able to get their country's former space scientists to work in "advisory" roles....

Ok so basically you cant digest some positive news about India,I have already explained that technology will not matter much in this project so getting advisors wont help much.(this is also debatable as if they are getting advisors or not but i am leaving it)

Anyway I want you to give me one positive rating to me in one of the above posts,I badly need it as i have 6 negative ratings.Dont make any excuses as 99% think tanks have abused there power so it wont affect your reputation also.
Rise above your nationality and do some charity. !!!!!!

 

[Indo-guy]

I agree with you.

My point was that this is not a bunch of "ragtag" nobodies. Each team would have highly qualified people on it, with the relevant background, if not as official members, then as "advisory" supporters.

As for funding, a single rich Indian business partner can fill the funding gap.

In sharp contrast to the composition of other teams ...this team is largely composed of 'amateur' professionals .
2 of the 2 American teams are lead by top notch technology professors with prior experience in such ventures. Look at the qualifications and background of team members comprising Team Indus ....they are largely inexperienced as compared to all other teams ...

there is only 1 space scientist who is on advisory board of Team Indus ....as compared to other teams who primarily comprise of space scientists ...

You have to concede that this team has comes so far sheer due to their dogged perseverance despite funds crunch and relative inexperience in building any kind of space crafts ...

some of the teams previously in competition have actually merged in current finalist teams ...

the rest of 5 finalist teams which hail from developed countries have several natural advantages...and Team Indus is the real underdog in every sense

 

[Developereo]

In sharp contrast to the composition of other teams ...this team is largely composed of 'amateur' professionals .
2 of the 2 American teams are lead by top notch technology professors with prior experience in such ventures. Look at the qualifications and background of team members comprising Team Indus ....they are largely inexperienced as compared to all other teams ...

The Indian team has former ISRO scientists working as advisers, and other companies reviewing their designs, etc.

 

[Indo-guy]

The Indian team has former ISRO scientists working as advisers, and other companies reviewing their designs, etc.

Yes but we know there is huge difference in advisory role and actual role played as primary members ...

They do not have 'as' free access to the huge pool of talent and money as their western counterparts are concerned ...

 

[Indo-guy]

The Indian team has former ISRO scientists working as advisers, and other companies reviewing their designs, etc.

Thanks for your responses ....

May the best team win !!!

( Although as an Indian I will pray for Team Indus to win ... )

lol,ok the OP has posted that one of the American company has budget of 90 million dollars.
And this project is more about raising money than technology because......
The most difficult part in this is to make a launch vehicle but as the article says they will use ISRO's PSLV ,and i think that other teams will also use lanch vehicles of there respective countries so this leaves rover and camera stuff which is not too difficult to make.
And this team started one year late also.

I personally think that they will loose this competition.Raising 34 million dollars is not a child's play in a nation facing abject poverty for these type of projects but atleast they are trying.

I differe with you in part that actually having proven launch vehicle is in fact the easiest thing in such a mission....building Lander and rover that can do soft landing on moon ...and to get your rover to move around , take pictures-remains a technological feat ...which only 3 nations have achieved so far ( with all stupendous national resources , talent at their disposal ....)

It took China simply 3 decades to achieve this ....Imagine technological challenges that must be involved ....

China accomplished that just 2 months ago ....after gap of some 4 decades ...and it was hailed as a great technological achievement ...


Building a lander and rover has never been accomplished by any private entity ....

definitely not by a start up in a third world country comprising of amateur young men .....!

It's simply dream like , Bollywood style story , full of melodrama ....

something similar or even better than the plot of " Slumdog millionaire "

It would be lovely if this story finishes with underdogs coming on top ..despite loads of obstacles stacked up against them .... !!!

 

[kbd-raaf]

Not quite.

They are getting help from the professionals. The only requirement is that the government can't help directly.

Of the 3 founders of Moon Express (widely believed to be the ones most likely to be the winners)

Naveen Jain: Billionaire entrepreneur (Chairman)
Bob Richards: Former NASA Mars Lander team, International Space Uni founder
Barney Pell: Former lead of IT NASA

One of their advisors professors from UCLA or UCBerk I can't quite recall his name is the foremost mind on robotics,especially exoplanetary rebotics.. My supervising prof has referred to him as such many times.

I think even if it doesn't win, if the lander does make it the moon that in itself is a huge success for India.

Also the American Moon Express has an IIT grad as it's chairman and the VP of operations is also Indian, can't recall his name.

 

[Indo-guy]

Of the 3 founders of Moon Express (widely believed to be the ones most likely to be the winners)

Naveen Jain: Billionaire entrepreneur (Chairman)
Bob Richards: Former NASA Mars Lander team, International Space Uni founder
Barney Pell: Former lead of IT NASA

One of their advisors professors from UCLA or UCBerk I can't quite recall his name is the foremost mind on robotics,especially exoplanetary rebotics.. My supervising prof has referred to him as such many times.

I think even if it doesn't win, if the lander does make it the moon that in itself is a huge success for India.

Also the American Moon Express has an IIT grad as it's chairman and the VP of operations is also Indian, can't recall his name.

as against that Team Indus composition is as follows

Rahul Narayan, Co-Founder, Tech Lead
A software guru turned serial entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience of creating businesses and taking them to the next level. Rahul has worked in various management roles for technology start-ups and has been a catalyst in defining product strategies, team operations, innovation, marketing. At Team Indus he is responsible for technology strategies and oversees the systems development team

Indranil Chakraborty, Co-Founder, Marketing Lead
An Aerospace Engineer by qualification Indranil has over 15 years of experience in project management, product marketing and business development. Indranil has led project governance, business process re-engineering, large scale marketing initiatives across Government, corporate customer accounts. At Team Indus he is responsible for marketing strategies and fund raising activities.

Sameer Joshi, Co-Founder, Missions Architect
A former Indian Air Force Fighter pilot, a trained paratrooper and aviation enthusiast, he has been engaged with development of several radical concepts around existing aviation theories. His passion for aviation and exposure to a multitude of mission profiles with the IAF, gives him the big-picture view to manage mission development activities for Team Indus, making him an incredible asset in the team’s journey to conquer the moon, via the Google Lunar X Prize.

Julius Amrit, Co-Founder, Investment Lead
With over 12 years of hands-on experience in conceptualizing and setting up businesses in education, IT and financial services, he has unlocked and actualized business potential for several Indian entrepreneurs and promoters. As Investment lead Julius is spearheading fund raising and guiding the overall brand strategy to enable raising funds in such a short period of time.

Dilip Chabria, Co-Founder, Corporate Relations Lead
For close to 20 years Dilip has been turning around businesses, he has an unbelievable track record of converting small organizations into recognized competitors in their respective fields. At Team Indus he is responsible for reaching out to corporates and sustaining an engagement campaign to enable critical infrastructure and financing support for Mission development.