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In 12 or 15 years, there will be routine, affordable space tourism not just in the U.S. but in a lot of countries.

I don't classify myself as the first space tourist because I wasn't as though I paid and had a holiday out of it - although I had a fab time.

But investment in space stimulates society, it stimulates it economically, it stimulates it intellectually, and it gives us all passion.

I've always been interested in space and the idea of exploration in that area since I was a child growing up through the '60s.

The fascination to go into space has existed for hundreds of years. But as we do things and they're successful, people get bored.

Space offers extraordinary potential for commerce and adventure, for new innovations and new tests of will. As Americans, we can't help but reach for the stars. It's our nature. It's our destiny.

A trip to space is a big motivator to give up some things in your personal life. Obviously, you can't give up everything and you don't want to.

A journey into space is the greatest adventure I can imagine.

The most powerful argument of all for saving open space is economics; in most states, tourism is the number two industry.

You see countries like India really investing in their space program because they see it as inspirational and good for their economy.