NASA wants to cash in on the success of the Ansari X prize by offering its own awards for private innovation. But it will have to chose the projects carefully, or risk looking foolish.
Last week, the US House Committee on Science asked Peter Diamandis, founder of the X prize, for some advice. The $10 million prize, which will be awarded to the first privately funded spacecraft to take two trips to the edge of space within two weeks, has kick-started an intense space race. One “key component”, said Diamandis, “was the existence of a business or market to support…
