By James Antifaev 

Google Lunar X PRIZE fans, competitors, and organizers:

As the newest member of the Odyssey Moon Limited team, allow me to introduce myself. I’m James: Odyssey Moon intern and International Space University masters student.

Sitting at my cubicle at a secure location in North America, I may confidently report that big things are underway for the Odyssey Moon team. As you are probably aware, OML’s international, highly experienced executive group includes an impressive list of movers and shakers in the space industry. It’s a privilege to be a part of such a dynamic team.

My internship at OML is in conjunction with ISU, an organization co-founded by Odyssey Moon’s CEO Dr. Bob Richards. The ISU masters program includes 9 months of course and project work followed by a 3 month internship. In my case, the internship involves working on the first privately-developed lunar mission – how cool is that?

ISU and the X PRIZE Foundation also have strong ties, as Peter Diamandis is another of ISU’s founders. Our school was fortunate enough to host the first GLXP Team Summit in May 2008, which turned out to be a fantastic opportunity for students to interact with real GLXP teams and to take part in a one-day student competition involving 6 teams from various countries. As part of the ISU student team, I saw amazing talent and enthusiasm demonstrated by all teams, and came away convinced that the GLXP has the ability to inspire younger generations to pursue careers in space. We are truly lucky to be alive at the time when private development of space becomes possible.

While I can’t divulge much information on the Big Secret Projects going on at Odyssey Moon, I strongly suggest that you continue to watch this space and bookmark OML’s website for upcoming announcements and news.