6/04/2010 12:20:00 PM
A message from Peter Diamandis, on behalf of the X PRIZE Foundation
The maiden voyage of the Falcon 9 marks an important milestone in commercial spaceflight, proving what is achievable by privately-owned companies that are dedicated to pioneering new technologies and making space more accessible. Overcoming the high cost of launching to orbit continues to be a challenge faced by space-related ventures, and the emergence of launch vehicles such as the Falcon 9 contributes to an increasingly competitive environment in the launch vehicle market – a condition which has the potential to drive costs down and open the space frontier to the rest of us. In the not-too-distant future, we hope to see SpaceX and other commercial launch providers transporting crew and cargo to orbiting outposts, the Moon, asteroids, and even Mars.
Also commendable is the continuous dedication to quality, reliability, and safety by SpaceX as they move forward with their ambitious plans. This mindset is one of the many reasons that SpaceX is a Preferred Partner for the Google Lunar X PRIZE, and it is worth noting that several of the teams entered in the competition are already considering utilizing rockets such as the Falcon 9 to boost their robots to the Moon in pursuit of the $30 million in prizes.
Again, congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on a successful launch today. We wish them the best as they continue to progress higher and faster toward their bold space exploration goals.