Beginning in the 50’s, the Soviet Union and the U.S. deployed massive budgets to be the first to the moon. Today’s competition involves private groups from multiple countries propelled in part by Google’s Lunar Xprize
MANUEL CANALES, RYAN T. WILLIAMS, ELENA SHEVEIKO, AND MATTHEW W. CHWASTYK, NGM STAFF. ART: TOMÁŠ MÜLLER. PHOTOS, FROM LEFT: OFF/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; SCIENCE HISTORY IMAGES/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; SPACE FRONTIERS/GETTY IMAGES; CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES; XPRIZE. SOURCES: LAVOCHKIN ASSOCIATION, RUSSIA; NASA; BEIJING INSTITUTE OF TRACKING AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY; NATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORIES, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
MANUEL CANALES, RYAN T. WILLIAMS, AND DAISY CHUNG, NGM STAFF. ART: TOMÁŠ MÜLLER. SOURCES: XPRIZE; SPACE ANGELS; SPACE FOUNDATION
