Garriott concludes space adventure

By TomM_GScom, GameSpotPosted Oct 24, 2008 5:38 pm PT

While most of the world was living out the banality of their everyday lives last week, Richard Garriott was in outer space. Now, Garriott can once again be considered a terrestrial being, as he and two cosmonaut comrades safely returned to Earth aboard the TMA-12 spacecraft yesterday after spending...

While most of the world was living out the banality of their everyday lives last week, Richard Garriott was in outer space. Now, Garriott can once again be considered a terrestrial being, as he and two cosmonaut comrades safely returned to Earth aboard the TMA-12 spacecraft yesterday after spending more than 10 days in space.

"This mission to the ISS fulfilled a lifelong dream to experience spaceflight as my father first did 35 years ago; it's an honor to be the first American to follow a parent into space," said Richard Garriott in a statement. "This experience made possible by Space Adventures--from my training in Star City to liftoff, orbit, and finally docking with and staying on the ISS--has been more gratifying than anything I could have ever imagined."

During his time aboard the International Space Station, Garriott conducted a number of field research experiments for a variety of sponsors who helped pay for his $30 million rocket ticket. The famed game designer, who created the seminal role-playing franchise Ultima, as well as NCsoft's sci-fi massively multiplayer online game Tabula Rasa, also communicated with students participating in the Challenger Center for Space Science Education program.

"While in space, I had the opportunity to conduct scientific experiments and environmental research, but what was most rewarding was speaking to students," Garriott further commented. "Growing up in an astronaut family, I firmly believed that every person could go to space, and now I have. I took this opportunity to inspire them with my adventure and let them know they can achieve their wildest dreams, as well with hard work and perseverance."

While aboard the ISS, Garriott regularly chronicled his experiences, posting them to his personal Web site dedicated to the interstellar expedition.

41 Comments

  • shions_glasses

    Posted Oct 29, 2008 10:18 am PT

    "with hard work and perseverance" and 30 MILLION DOLLARS!!!

  • TehUndeadHorror

    Posted Oct 29, 2008 12:33 am PT

    That's pretty cool.

  • hatefull

    Posted Oct 28, 2008 12:27 pm PT

    .

  • DaSlyOne

    Posted Oct 28, 2008 4:51 am PT

    @Hateful:

    And yet you wasted time writing that epiphany when you yourself could have saved a few children. Next time you really want to buy something for yourself (a game?), donate the money to a child hunger charity instead and prove your right to criticize. Hypocrite.

  • XanderZane

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 5:44 pm PT

    Pretty cool that he was able to fulfill his dreams. That should be inspiring to others who want to achieve higher goals like this. Congrats R.G.!!

  • scyldschefing

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 12:48 pm PT

    Maybe Garriot was a revolutionary game designer at one point, but now all he peddles is the same derivative shallow but graphically pretty junk that is too pervasive in the gaming industry.

    If he still was as great of a developer as he was at one point it's possible that I would actually care about what he does. But he doesn't, and I don't.

  • RockySquirrel

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 11:16 am PT

    Does anyone these days give a hoot about Garriot?

    I don't.

  • jknight5422

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 10:22 am PT

    Hopefully the space trip will inspire him to make something better than Tabula Rasa (I heard it was awful).

  • GhostStalkerX1

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 9:49 am PT

    Must be awsome going to space.

  • Lance_Kalzas

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 8:32 am PT

    Hateful,

    Who are you to criticize anyone? Are you saying you've never wasted money on something before? I say that and I don't even think Garriott wasted $30 million on this because I don't look at it as a waste. Is it a lot of money? Of course! Who wouldn't want to go up into space if they had that kind of money to blow on it? Are you saying you wouldn't? I refuse to believe that for a second. Hypocrites like you are a part of the reason why the world is so messed up to begin with; it's full of people saying one thing and doing another. But I am also making assumptions about you and quite a few others as well but still, I'm probably right....

  • S31Ender

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 6:19 am PT

    To hatefull:

    "Children die of hunger everyday while" you pay for your highspeed broadband connection to respond here.
    Shall we start calculating how much you spend every year on TV, Videogame Consoles, Videogames, computers, broadband and ....well I could keep going.

    I mean. REALLY. Think about it. How much does it cost to feed ONE person in a 3rd world country? 30 cents a day? Less?
    How much do you pay for your internet? 30 bucks? 60?
    Let's assume 30 dollars a month for some fast DSL or some cable or something.
    At 30 cents a day per person and 30 bucks a month for internet, you could feed 3 people.

    3 people DIE EVERY MONTH because you want your internet.

    Murderer!

    Do you want to total up how much your tv cost? cable television? your computer?
    How many people do you kill every year for the luxuries you enjoy? A hundred? Three hundred? A THOUSAND?

    "good for you hatefull, good for you"


    (if ya'll didn't notice, I AM being a wee bit sarcastic.)

  • hatefull posted Oct 27, 2008 4:00 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    hatefull

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 4:00 am PT (hide)

    children die of hunger everyday while others get to go into space. good for you Richard good for you

  • dannyodwyer

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 3:27 am PT

    Its a pretty remarkable story. Fair deuce to him.

  • PandaBear86

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 1:41 am PT

    This is the legend who made Ultima 8, which was the best RPG I have played in my childhood. I hope you had a great time, Richard Garriott

  • ZhugeMarc

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 1:11 am PT

    I thought he had built a little house up there with Peter Molyneux and they were going to live there indefinitely.

  • TheClown24

    Posted Oct 26, 2008 4:19 pm PT

    was there pie in space?

  • tawagivercetti

    Posted Oct 26, 2008 4:18 pm PT

    what a waste of money, give it to charity or me I can't afford all these great games coming out.

  • snakeyes101

    Posted Oct 26, 2008 11:58 am PT

    Yhatzee: "Completely demented games designer"
    Suppose he was right...

  • GhostyMcboo

    Posted Oct 26, 2008 11:02 am PT

    An American named Lord British on a Space Mission from Kazakhstan.

    Hmmm... funny, that.

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