Peter Diamandis,
Chairman and CEO, X PRIZE Foundation; Chairman and CEO, Zero Gravity Corp.
Firouz Naderi,
Associate Director, Programs, Project Formulation and Strategy; Director, Solar System Exploration Programs, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Moderator:
Daniel Goldin, Chairman and CEO, The Intellisis Corp.; former Administrator, NASA
Former astronaut Leroy Chiao, left, shares a light moment with moderator Daniel Goldin, former NASA administrator, during the Monday night dinner panel.
When will I visit outer space? That is the question posed by former NASA administrator and current CEO of Intellisis Corp. Daniel Goldin to a panel of former astronauts and space travel leaders. Following an introduction by Leonard Nimoy, Goldin was joined onstage by Eric Anderson of Space Adventures Ltd.; Peter Diamandis of the X Prize Foundation; Firouz Naderi of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory; and Leroy Chiao, a former NASA astronaut.
When will a mass market develop for the type of recreational space travel currently available only to those who can afford the $20 million price tag? Currently, several organizations offer space trips to consumers, with offerings ranging from a few moments of weightlessness to trips into orbit.
What about government's role in the effort? Anderson and Diamandis contended that the government's main responsibility in the development of space travel is to stay out of the way of commercial enterprises in this pursuit, and to offer incentives for further private company developments. Naderi provided another perspective, advocating a role for government, particularly in the areas of defense (including from asteroids).
Regardless of the role government may play, the panel agreed that the opportunities for space exploration are poised to increase dramatically. Whether mining asteroids, engaging in space tourism or searching for life on other planets, the potential is tremendous.
Toward the end of the program, Diamandis predicted that the world's first trillionaire would be a space magnate. Let the new space race begin.
Global Conference 2013
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, philanthropist Bill Gates and Strive Masiyiwa of Econet Wireless discuss advancing prosperity in Africa.
