The X-prize

[ZachSylvanus]

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, the X-Prize, it's essentially a reward to the first private group to design a reusable space vehicle.How do you think this will affect the human future in space? Do you think that taking the matter away from the government is necessarily a beneficial thing? Do you think private groups will be the first to other planets, or will projects on that scale require the limitless funds of a government regardless of the cost of spaceflight?I personally envision something like the human genome project, where a government and private group collaborate in a competitive manner to reach Mars or other planetary bodies. I think if our eggs aren't in one basket, we've got a better chance of achieving our goals than if we let a bureaucracy try and pull off another moonshot.

[ZachSylvanus]

[RickU]

I would concur. We also need to have long term goals. Moving heavy industry off planet should be one of those. Mining the belt another. Would it be feasible to scoop hydrogen from Saturn or Jupiter?How about permanent self sustaining settlements w/in the solar system? Right now we are pretty aimless. We're just achieving scientific goals (which is still great, but it doesn't give the public much vision)

[scrumfish]

HERE is an article about another contestant. I like the pilot's spirit.