The communications challenges of the Google Lunar X PRIZE are certainly complicated! I mentioned previously the necessity for at least part of the operations (encrypted data transmission) to be done under commercial, rather than HAM licensing rules. Another consideration is that even satellite ground stations apparently need to be licensed!

But the biggest complication is that time critical events are likely to happen when the spacecraft is “behind” the Earth, with respect to a convenient ground station. A group of three stations, each spaced roughly 1/3 of the way around the world from the others, is needed to guarantee communications at any time.

These may be surprisingly available! While NASA communications partners are both very expensive and time constrained (with complicated scheduling to serve big budget spacecraft), a number of early Communications Satellite ground stations have been “Surplussed” and may be converted to research satellite use. I am actively talking with a group working to accomplish exactly this. We may be able to supply the equipment needed to demonstrate the feasibility of this conversion, and serve GLXP spacecraft as needed.