 |
Dr. Peter H. Diamandis |
| Dr. Peter H. Diamandis (born 20 May 1961 in Bronx, New York) of Greek immigrant parents, is considered a key figure in the development of the personal spaceflight industry, having created many space-related businesses or organizations. He is the Founder and Chairman of the X PRIZE Foundation, an educational non-profit prize institute whose mission is to create radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. His foundation is best known for offering the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE for private-sector manned spaceflight, a prize that was won in October 2004 by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and famed aviation designer Burt Rutan with SpaceShipOne, the world's first non-government piloted spacecraft. More recently, Diamandis has created the Rocket Racing League. Born as a cross between Indy car racing and rocket powered flight, RRL is developing a brand new motor sport. Besides serving as chairman of the X PRIZE Foundation, Diamandis is also the CEO and co-founder of Zero Gravity Corporation, which offers parabolic weightless flights to the general public. He is also the co-Founder and a Director of Space Adventures, Ltd the company that has flown four private citizens on Soyuz to the International Space Station. Diamandis received undergraduate and graduate degrees in aerospace engineering and health, sciences and technology from MIT where he became a brother of the Theta Deuteron charge of Theta Delta Chi. He got an M.D. from Harvard Medical School and has been the recipient of numerous awards. |
|