*** Media Alert *** Media Alert *** Media Alert ***
Planetary Resources Opening the Space Frontier to All
[Note from the Editor; Rose Ayers]
On Wednesday, May 29th, 2013 I was amongst the privileged few to attend a private press release for the COOLEST Kickstarter launch to date: ARKYD: The world’s first publicly owned Space Telescope. As the special guest of our very own Maverick Member #61 Mike Cline, I could feel the electric buzz of excitement bouncing off of the glass walls of the Seattle based Museum of Flight as cameramen clamored to get the best view-point and sound engineers tested their boom mics for the perfect pitch. To my left sat a reporter representing Gizmag and to my right, I saw several other “cream of the crop” news channels. This was a big deal, I realized as I pulled out my notepad and voice recorder. I over heard a conversation taking place behind me: “…This will change everything for our children.” The reality of a future that promised imminent change sparked a thrill of excitement as I settled back into my chair and turned my attention to the four men I saw taking the stage.
Peter H. Diamandis, an American engineer and Intel entrepreneur best known for being the founder and chairman of the X PRIZE Foundation, the co-founder/chairman of Singularity University and the author of the New York Times bestseller Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think took the stage. He was accompanied by…
Eric Anderson, an entrepreneur and aerospace engineer who has pioneered the creation of the commercial human spaceflight industry since its inception. He is involved in a portfolio of innovative technology and spaceflight companies, including Intentional Software Corporation, Space Adventures, Ltd., and Planetary Power, Inc. Also…
Chris Lewicki who has been intimately involved with the life-cycle of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers and the Phoenix Mars Lander and…
Hank Green, an American entrepreneur, musician, and vlogger. He is best known for his YouTube channel Vlogbrothers where he regularly uploads videos along with his brother, John Green.
As these four men took their seats in front of the small media gathering, voices rested to a soft murmur as cameras started flashing. Peter started things off with a brief update around what was happening at Planetary Resources. This man not only had the undivided attention of every soul within earshot…he had our respect. We all new that Peter Diamandis had a track record that reflected ground-breaking success and that whatever he turned his full attention to, was worthy of being taken seriously to heart. He captivated us with his news of a rapidly approaching future where drones would be sent up to asteroids to mine for precious metals and water. Things are changing. There IS hope for future generations. The world of Star Trek just might become our reality! Peter then passed the mic to his Co-Founder Eric, who has the most high-energy, enthusiastic personality I have ever seen at a science-based event! This guy truly loves what he does. I mean, how could he not? Exploring for alien planets while configuring ways to save mankind? This guy is a galactic bada**! Eric jumped into explaining why we were all there; Planetary Resources was about to launch a Kickstarter project that would give people all over the world the ability to co-own the world’s first publicly owned space telescope! This means any of us will have the ability to take pictures of planets, search for alien or undiscovered stars, watch meteor showers and just straight up explore our universe! Teachers will be able to use it to teach in their classrooms, meteorologists will be able to better forewarn us of coming asteroids…the list just goes on and on. No government involvement, no stipulations or loopholes to jump through. Just pure opportunity to be a part of something revolutionary.
One of my favorite parts of the event happened when a reporter raised his hand and asked “You are all millionaires. Why are you asking the public to fund this? Can’t you just do it yourselves?” The question was blunt, yet Eric did not skip a beat as he replied “You’re right, we could fund it. But then, how would the public feel the personal pride of ownership that comes from investing their own money into making something powerful happen? People need to be reminded that they have the ability to change things. Together, we can make anything happen. But we have to be willing to step forward, invest and expect change.” I thought his answer was pretty cool.
The best part of all of this? The guys at Planetary Resources are providing the materials and avenue for this telescope to exist, however, this whole campaign started because Mike Cline had an idea….that he shared with people who have the same passion as he does: to create more opportunity for anyone who wants to learn more about our universe. Mike Cline has a gift…that I believe we have only seen the beginning of.
The original goal for Arkyd, was $1 million dollars. Today, we are at $913,624 with only 13 days left in the cycle. The stakes have been recently risen, however. If we can muster up $2 million dollars by June 30th, the company has announced that it will invest the additional funds to enhance the ARKYD space telescope technology to enable it to search for alien planets! So, for more information as to how you can get involved, check out some of the media links below:
Jason Silva – Planetary Resources Kickstarter
Planetary Resources Latest Blog Post
Youtube – Planetary Resources Press Release in Seattle, Wa.
Planetary Resources Latest Press Release
Do you have questions about this opportunity? Want to get even more involved? Contact Mike Cline of Tech Guys who Get Marketing at mike@techguyswhogetmarketing.com.
Do you have an exciting thing happening in your life personally or professionally? Or a perspective to Share? Contact Rose at rose@maverick1000.com.
