Teamindus Announces International Jury For Lab2moon, A Global Challenge To Send Your Project To The Moon

Opportunity For An Independent Project To Fly To The Moon For The First Time In 45+ Years

TeamIndus, a space technology startup and the only Indian team competing for the Google Lunar XPRIZE today announced an international jury for Lab2Moon, a global challenge for youngsters from around the world to imagine, design and build a project that will fly to the Moon aboard the TeamIndus spacecraft scheduled for launch in 2017. TeamIndus, one of the top 3 among 16 global teams, is driving interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) among the student community hoping to inspire the next generation of innovators to think beyond our planet.

Unveiling a stellar international jury in addition to Dr. K. Kasturirangan, Former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation and former Rajya Sabha member, TeamIndus has added Dr. Alain Bensoussan, Former President of Centre National D’Etudes Spatiales (CNES – the French Space Agency) and Former Chairman of Council, ESA (European Space Agency) and Dr. Joe Pelton, Former Dean of the International Space University (ISU) and Director Emeritus, Space and Advanced Communications Research Institute (SACRI) at George Washington University as jury members.

Rahul Narayan, TeamIndus Fleet Commander, said, “It is an honour to announce names such as Dr. K. Kasturirangan, Dr. Alain Bensoussan and Dr. Joe Pelton in the jury for Lab2Moon. It will be especially exciting for youngsters who will showcase their projects to this jury and interact with them.” 

Dr. K. Kasturirangan, former chairman, ISRO, said, “Lab2Moon has the potential to push thinking about interplanetary life for humans to a whole new level. The next step in human evolution is finding ways to live in space and I am looking forward to seeing some great ideas for experiments which will enable that.”

TeamIndus had announced Lab2Moon in July and since then more than 200 teams from 50+ cities across 10 countries, including Germany, Italy, Peru, Mexico, Singapore, have signed up to send their projects to the moon. Keeping in mind the academic schedule of Indian and global institutions, TeamIndus has also extended the last date for registering on L2M.teamindus.in till the 10th of September 2016. The winner would be announced on the 14th of February, 2017. Internshala, India’s largest internship platform,has signed up with TeamIndus as exclusive college outreach partners helping TeamIndus spread the word on Lab2Moon pan-India.

As part of Lab2Moon, youngsters below the age of 25 years have to imagine, design and build a project that would catalyse the evolution of mankind as a multi-planetary species. Teams of up to three members must share a 300 word overview of their project and upload a 2-minute video explaining why it should go to the Moon. The jury will shortlist 20 projects by the 15^th of September, 2016. These teams will then develop a working prototype by the turn of the year. In February 2017, shortlisted teams will be flown to Bangalore to showcase their project to the jury. The winner will be declared on 14^th February, 2017.

TeamIndus 

TeamIndus is India’s only entry into the Google Lunar XPRIZE, a competition for privately funded teams to successfully place a robot on the moon’s surface that explores at least 500 meters and transmits high-definition media back to Earth. For demonstrating its landing technology, TeamIndus has won a $1 million milestone prize placing it in the Top-3 teams in the competition. There are over 85 engineers including 15 former ISRO scientists who are helping TeamIndus design and develop its proprietary technology from its headquarters in Bangalore.