NASA offering cash prices

After the first successful flight of a private space craft, NASA is considering offering cash prizes to those that complete designated tasks. The prizes might range up to $30 million for a soft lunar landing or bringing back a piece of an asteroid according to Reuters. NASA is even pondering a prize of $200 million for the first private, piloted mission to orbit Earth. NASA has never given money for private achievements, but the idea goes along with the White House�s plan to privatize space exploration.

"What we're looking for is innovation like what Burt Rutan brought to the table," said Michael Lembeck of NASA's office of exploration systems in an interview with Reuters about the first private astronaut.

This bugs me as if the governments already own high performance intergalactic spaceships why are they even bothering with this. But seriously it�s a good idea to be going ahead with as it encourages the people to create and inspires the youth. Just a shame it takes a # load of money to do so.

As we know from history some of the greatest inventions have come out of peoples garages that never would have been thought of. Nasa are just trying to get those mad Garage inventors to make that thing no one would have thought of and get us that next step in to space. Iam off to my garage now

I suppose the question would be "would NASA pay me or kill me if told them that I built and am aboard a space craft that left Earth and is currently in orbit of Barnard's Star?.

If I didn't give the military such technology or ask for their permission, they would most certainly put me in an unfortunate situation.

What a joke. 200 million if you build something that can orbit this planet. Any rocket scientist with ingenuity and resources could pull that off.

"first private, piloted mission to orbit Earth"

Someone has to be in it.... And then drop back down ;P