SDF

An outspoken Texan on a mission, Rick has been called one of the world's top space "Visionaries" and one of the most influential people in space. Rick is known as one of the people who began the “NewSpace” revolution, leading to the formation of private space companies by Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos and dozens of other space entrepreneurs. A protégé of Dr. Gerard K. O’Neill, he was a founder of the well known and leading edge Space Frontier Foundation, led the team which leased the Russian Mir space station for a year as the world’s first commercial space facility, signed up first so called “space tourist” Dennis Tito to fly in space (which started the commercial space travel industry) was a founding trustee of the X-Prize, Chief Executive of the $25 million FINDS space research endowment, and LunaCorp – which produced the first commercial to be shot in space (aboard the ISS).

Rick has testified 6 times as a lead witness in Congressional hearings on space policy, and was one of only 20 White House invitees for President Bush's announcement of the Moon/Mars project. He created the core media for the Air Force’s DC-X team, the International Space University, the X-33 and other projects. Rick regularly appears on CNN and other news outlets and has been quoted around the world, from the New York Times to the People’s Daily. He edited "Return to the Moon," was part of NASA's Lunar Exploration Analysis Group, co-founded the Institute for Space Law and Policy and has two major new space projects underway: Orbital Outfitters – a space suit leasing firm which recently unveiled the world’s first commercial space suit, and Project: SpaceDiver, featured last year as the cover story on Popular Science, whose goal is to bring humans back from space without spacecraft in emergencies while creating the most extreme sport in human history – “SpaceDiving”.