• Dr. Peter H. Diamandis

  Pioneer in Private Spaceflight

Profession:

Pioneer in private spaceflight

Education

• BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1983 - Molecular Biology
• MS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1987 - Aeronautics and Astronautics
• MD, Harvard Medical School, 1989 Medical Degree
• HST, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1989 - Health, Science and Technology

A pioneer in the development of private space exploration, Peter Diamandis is the force behind several space-related organ izations, including the X PRIZE Foundation whose mission is "to bring about radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity."

What first inspired your love of space?

I remember when I was 9 years old and the Apollo missions were going on. I was incredibly inspired. It was in Mrs. Field's fifth-grade class that I first learned about Apollo. I started doodling rocket ships on every page of my textbooks. I lived it, dreamed it, and breathed it! I built Estes model rockets and I launched them. It was something that caught my imagination. I felt in that moment in time that my life's mission was to explore space and take others with me. I've had that fire in my belly ever since then.

Why did you pursue private space travel?

Originally, I wanted to be a NASA astronaut. I got a "six-pack" of degrees - pilot's license, scuba license, etc. Then I realized my chances were only one in a thousand of being accepted into the astronaut corps and only half the astronauts have ever flown into space. So I thought to myself, "Let's do it privately." That's what originally inspired the Ansari X PRIZE and now the Google Lunar X PRIZE. It's making it possible for all of us to go into space independent of the government.

What would you say to students interested in exploring space?

For kids who are in high school today, or even elementary school, I hope that the Lunar X PRIZE will be your Apollo program. That you'll follow these teams, that you'll get involved, and maybe go work with them. Once these rovers are on the moon, you'll get a chance to drive them, communicate with them ...You'll actually be able to build these yourself and send them to the moon. You'll have a chance to go and fly in suborbital flights. It's not something that you only can watch on TV - you can be directly involved. If you believe it, if you're passionate about it, go and do it. You can do anything. You can walk on the moon if you want!

Interview

If you believe it, if you're passionate about it, go and do it. You can do anything. You can walk on the moon if you want!

Dr. Peter H. Diamandis
Pioneer in Private Spaceflight

Web Resources

• "The Unauthorized Top-Secret Website" of Peter Diamondis
• WIRED Magazine Article - "Who Needs NASA?"
• Google Lunar X PRIZE
• The X PRIZE Foundation
• MIT World Video - Peter Diamandis Lecture "From Space to Energy: Changing the World. For Good."
• American Antigravity - Interview with Peter Diamandis
• Wikipedia - Peter Diamandis
• IT Conversations - Pop!Tech 2005 Podcast with Peter Diamandis
• HobbySpace - Interview with Peter Diamandis
• PBS - NewsHour with Jim Lehrer - "Rocketeers"
• MSNBC - "The Space Visionary Behind the X PRIZE"