German car maker Audi has recently announced that in collaboration with Part-Time Scientists it is working to land a privately funded rover on the moon. Part-Time scientists are one of the 16 teams in the competition for the Google Lunar XPRIZE.

The vehicle has been scheduled to be launched into space in 2017 and will travel more than 380,000 km to the moon on a specially designed rocket.

Mission experts said the trip, which will take about five days, will land at the same spot where Apollo 17 landed in 1972, i. e. north of the moon's equator.

Audi will be providing technical support to the Part-Time Scientists in the race to land a privately funded rover on the moon that can travel 500m and transmit high-definition video and images to earth.

Berlin-based Robert Böhme, founder of Part-Time Scientists, said, "With Audi we have acquired a strong partner that will bring us a big step forward with its technological and mobility capabilities".

The team's vehicle will be called the Audi Lunar Quattro. The vehicle will have an aluminum construction, a solar-charged lithium-ion battery, two front-facing stereoscopic cameras that will aid in navigation and an additional high- resolution camera that will analyze the environment and surface.

It will have a top speed of around 3.6 kmph and will be using Audi's sophisticated Quattro all-wheel drive system. It will also share expertise in lightweight construction, electric vehicle mobility and piloted driving.

Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi board member for technical development, said in a press release that they are pleased to support the project with their lightweight technology, electronics and robotics.