"Spacepowerisridiculous.Evenwithrelativelyaffordablecommercialrockets,spacesolarpowerdoesn'tmakeeconomicsense.Infact,IthinkifyouinstantlytransportsolarpanelsfromEarthtoorbitforfree,itwouldstillbemoreexpensivethanputtingthemonEarth."
—ElonMusk
"Spacesolarpoweroffersatrulysustainable,global-scale,andemission-freeenergysource.Butprivateenterprisealonecannotmustertheresourcesneededtomakeitworkonalargescale.Thegovernmentwillhavetodothejob,startingwithasmalldemonstrationsatellite."
—MartyHoffert,physicist,NewYorkUniversity
"Still,whateverformtheultimatespacemoneymakertakes,itwillinvolvedevelopinganewfrontier,andfrontiershavealwaysgivenpeopleareasontohopeandtodream—itselfaworthygoal.Andthat'sthereallegacyofSpaceShipOne.Inthefallof2005,theSmithsonianInstitutionacknowledgedthehistoricalimportanceofthelittlespaceshipthatcouldbyinstallingitintheNationalAirandSpaceMuseumontheNationalMallinWashingtonD.C.There,themuseum'sninemillionannualvisitorscouldviewithanginginaplaceofhonorinthemuseum'sMilestonesofFlightgallery,rightbesidethoseotherepoch-makingflyingmachinesTheSpiritofSt.Louis,theWrightFlyer,andtheApollo11commandmodule."
—MichaelBelfiore
"We'reatapointinhistoryanalogoustothebeginningofthepersonalcomputerboom,whenvisionarieslikeSteveJobsandBillGateswerebuildingtheirfirstcomputersandwritingtheirfirstprogramsintheirgarages.Orthebeginningofthetwentiethcentury,whenHenryFordopenedhisfirstassemblyline.Tourismisthefirstmarketforthenewspaceflightindustry,asthousandsofpeoplewiththedreamtoseetheEarthfromspaceforthemselvessignupforridesonsuborbitalspaceships,whichwillbecomeincreasinglyaffordable.Eventuallythoseshipswilltravelnotjuststraightupanddownonsightseeingjaunts,butalsoacrosscontinentsandoceansmuchfasterthanthesupersonicConcordepassengerairplanes,andwithfarlessofthenoisethatkeptConcordefromoperatingonoverlandroutes.Thatdevelopmentalonecouldalterthetravelindustryasthoroughlyasthejetplane.Touristswillalsoprovidesomeofthefirstmarketsfororbitalshipsthatwillrocketthemtovacationsoncommercialspacestations.CommercialrocketsbeyondtheEarth'sorbitwon'tbefarbehind;in2005theincreasinglyentrepreneurialRussianspaceprogramcutadealwithFlorida-basedSpaceAdventurestosendtwotouristsandaprofessionalcosmonautonaflybymissionaroundthemoon.Themajorhardwareforthemissionalreadyexists;allthat'sneedednowistofindtwopeoplewillingandabletoponyup$100millioneachtopayforit."
—MichaelBelfiore
"Toseetheearthasittrulyis,smallandblueandbeautifulinthateternalsilencewhereitfloats,istoseeourselvesasridersontheearthtogether,brothersonthatbrightlovelinessintheeternalcold—brotherswhoknownowtheyaretrulybrothers."
—PoetArchibaldMacLeish
"Allrevolutionaryideaspassthroughthreestages,whichmaybesummedupbythesereactions:?(1)?'It'scrazy—don'twastemytime.'(2)?'It'spossible,butit'snotworthdoing.'(3)?'Ialwayssaidthiswasagoodidea.'"
—SciencefictionwriterArthurC.Clarkein1968
"Wehavemetthepayloadofthefuture,andit'sus!It'speople:carbon-basedself-replicatingpayloadsthatyoucanmakeusingsimpletoolsyouhaveathome."
—GaryMaryniak,cofounder,TheXPRIZEFoundation