"Youknow,thethingsthatwefightwarsoveronEarth.TheEarthisacrumbinasupermarketfilledwithresources.Andourabilitytoaccessthoseresources,togivepeopleonthisplanetincreasedstandardsofliving,iscritical."
—PeterDiamandis,X-PRIZEfounder
"EvenifweweretoexcavatetheentirelandareaofEarthtoadepthofhalfamile,andtohoneycombtheterraintoremoveatenthofallitstotalvolume,wewouldobtainonly1percentofthemineralscontainedinjustthethreelargestasteroids.Everythingthatweholdofvalueonthisplanet—metals,minerals,realestateandenergy—areininfinitequantitiesinspace."
—GerardO'Neill,physicist,PrincetonUniversity
"It'snotabouttechnology.It'snotevenaboutcommercialismrightaway,orprivatespaceflighttomakemoney.It'ssimplyaboutshowingthatitcanbedoneandbreakingdownthebarrierssootherpeoplewithbetterideasandmorecapitalcanstepupthereandsay,'Yeah,theyshowedtheway,I'mgoingtofollowthem.'"
—BrianFeeney,CEOofthedaVinciProject,anX-PRIZEcontestant
"Thisindustryisatthestagewhereitisthepreserveofvisionariesanddaredevilsandadventurers.Thesearepeoplewhowillflyattheirownrisktotryoutnewtechnologies.Thesearepeoplewhodonotexpectandshouldnotexpecttobeprotectedbythegovernment.Suchprotectionwouldonlystifleinnovation."
—RepresentativeSherwoodBoehlertofNewYork
"ThevisionIoutlinetodayisajourney,notarace,andIcallonothernationstojoinusinthisjourney,inaspiritofcooperationandfriendship.Wechoosetoexplorespacebecausedoingsoimprovesourlives,andliftsournationalspirit."
—PresidentGeorgeW.Bush,2004
"NASAhadstruckthefirstblowinthelate1950s,killingoffawholeclassofsciencefictionstoriesbyconvincingthegeneralpublicthatonlybiggovernmentprogramsspendingbillionsofdollarscouldsendanyoneintospace.Beforethat,storiesofamateursbuildingtheirownridestospacewereseenasjustanear-futureextensionofthewaycountlessotherindustrieshadgottenstarted.Who,afterall,hadbuiltthefirstautomobilesandairplanesbutdeterminedandtalentedamateurs?Alotofsciencefiction'schargecamefromtheideaitcouldactuallyhappen,andsoon—maybeeventothepeoplereadingit.Butbythe1960s,thosekindsofstoriesseemedhopelesslyquaintandoutdated.Amateursandsmallcompanies,thewritersthoughtandreadersagreed,couldnomorebuildspaceshipsthaninterstatehighways.Nomatter,though;NASAwasheadingtothemoon,costbedamned,becausethemoneywasthereforit—moneythatmanysawasawell-spentdownpaymentonhumanity'sfutureinspace.Inthe1980s,publicinterestinspacetravelfadedalongwiththeideathatwewerelivinginaspaceage.Nothingreallynewwashappening;nonewfrontierswerebeingexplored,atleastnotbypeople.Andsincethebiggovernmentspacemonopoliescouldn'teffectivelybuildonthelegacyofthemoonrace,mostpeopleassumedthatnoonecould.ItseemedthathumanityreallywasdestinedtobeEarth-boundafterall,travelingnohigherthantheShuttle'slowEarthorbit.Thatis,untiltheXPRIZE.OnDecember17,2003,the100thanniversaryoftheWrightbrothers'firstpoweredflight,aspaceshipbuiltbyanXPRIZEcompetitorwentsupersonic,somethingnoprivatelybuiltcrafthaddonebefore,androdetoapeakof67,800feetbeforereturningtoMojavesafely.This,then,isthestoryofthesecondspaceage."
—MichaelBelfiore