A Central Florida team comprised of engineering professionals and UCF students is on a quest to win an out-of-this-world competition.

"Oh course we are definitely going to win. Definitely," says Marvin Tsoi, a UCF Engineering draduate leading the project.

Tsoi is no doubt confident in his Omega Envoy Project team and fired up about their effort to send a lunar rover and lander to Earth's nearest neighbor -- something which has only been done 19 times, with the last nearly 40 years ago.

It's part of the Google Lunar X PRIZE -- where as of now 26 teams from around the world competing for the top prize of $20 million.

This is the only Florida team.

"Like anything in engineering, it's hard and challenging. But it's fun," said Tsoi.

Earthrise Space Inc is the group's parent company. They are a non-profit whose aim is to develop space technology with both industry and schools.

Friday they hosted an open house for local middle schoolers who could one day further their math and science studies here.

"It's to prove the technology is available to go back to the Moon, and provide students with hands-on experience in STEM education. It's very useful for them to come here and actually design a product," says Ruben Nunez, Earthrise Space President.

That product is a lunar rover, still in the prototype stages of development.

In order to win the contest, a team must launch a rocket to the moon, land safely, then navigate the surface while sending back video, images and data back to Earth.

This team even has a paid NASA contract to share their information with the space agency. Omega Envoy's goal is to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at the end of 2014.

And all this hands-on training has motivated Tsoi toward a space career.

"Hopefully starting a company to build spacecraft," he said.

Teams have a deadline of the end of 2015.