About This Episode

The X-Prize is motivating engineers, scientists and private industry to “Make the impossible possible.” Get an insider’s look at the X-Prize when Neil interviews founder Peter Diamandis. In Part One, Peter tells Neil that his mission in life is “To open up the Solar System.” Find out his inspiration for the first X-Prize, and the difficult road to make his “bold, crazy idea” a reality. You’ll learn about Anousheh Ansari, the Iranian-American engineer whose family donated $10 million for the first prize, and who became the first Iranian in space and the first self-funded women to fly to the ISS. You’ll also hear about Paul Allen, who spent $26 million backing Burt Rutan’s winning SpaceShipOne. In the studio, Neil and co-host Chuck Nice discuss Charles Lindbergh and the role money and private industry plays in reaching for the stars.

NOTE: All-Access subscribers can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: X-Prize (Part 1).