One competitor for the Google Lunar X PRIZE has elected to remain an anonymous “Mystery Team” for the time being. They can maintain their anonymity until July 20, 2009—the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing—but are free to announce themselves anytime before then. Until then, we at the X PRIZE Foundation are encouraging speculation about this team. Who are these masked rocket scientists? Europeans? South Americans? Canadians? Chinese? South Africans? The possibilities are as extensive as an atlas. And what skills sets to do they have? Are they aerospace enginneers? Or are they race car drivers, who have decided that the next great race is the one to the Moon? And why have they decided to remain a mystery team?

If you want to chat or speculate about answers to these or all of the other questions that can be asked about a mystery team, we have an area of our forum specifically for such banter. Some questions to get the discussion started are:

1. What form of motion will the Mystery Team use? (Hopping, rolling, crawling, etc.)
2. How many members will they have?
3. Where are they receiving funding?
4. What launch provider will they use? Or will they build their own rocket?
5. Where will they attempt to land on the Moon?
6. When are they planning for their first launch?
7. What bonus prizes will they try for?
8. How many members will have hazel eyes?
9. Why are they choosing to remain a mystery team?

Keep checking back to keep updated on the speculation, and if there is any new information about the team! The team will be blogging periodically, so keep your eyes open for any hints they might leave.