Considered one of the best evangelists in the space field Rick is listed as one of the top 100 influential people in the space field.As a result of his world-changing work, in 2015 he won the World Technology Award along with Craig Venter of the Human Genome project. He consults with NASA and Space Force, founded the SpaceFund venture capital company, and his non-profit organization, the EarthLight Foundation, is creating an inclusive movement to use space to protect the Earth and expand life into the cosmos.