Back in 2007, I had the opportunity to meet Professor Stephen Hawking through the X PRIZE Foundation. In my first conversation with him I learned that he was passionate about flying into space someday.

Lindbergh made the flight to win a prize, not as a personal objective. I really saw the power of that prize written out for me in hard numbers: Nine teams spent [a combined] $400,000 to win that $25,000. It occurred to me that what space really needed was a prize to compel folks to build the ships that would take the rest of us there.

I don't think the space station is innovative. Going to the moon was innovative because we had no idea how to do it.

In one sense, the X Prize has already succeeded. We've sparked a diverse set of vehicles that are being tested and built. Secondly, we've got people excited about this market place.

so important to the future of space exploration and space travel.

Revealing water in significant quantities on the Moon could truly be a turning point in space exploration.