As a boy , Richards was inspired by the moon landings and science fiction . But his childhood expectations failed to be realized as the space race cooled . He became an engineer at NASA in 1958 after graduating from high school. `` The Google X Prize has certainly captivated my enthusiasm and interest , and I would certainly like to win that , '' he says . Richards is aiming for the moon -- and confesses Mars is tempting ...
As a boy , Richards was inspired by the moon landings and science fiction . But his childhood expectations failed to be realized as the space race cooled . He became an engineer at NASA in 1958 after graduating from high school. Richards is aiming for the moon -- and confesses Mars is tempting ...