Archive Person

Richard Garriott

Private Astronaut, Legendary Game Creator & President of The Explorers Club

Richard Garriott is a pioneering video game developer, private astronaut, explorer, and entrepreneur widely recognized as one of the founding figures of both the modern gaming industry and commercial human spaceflight. Creator of the groundbreaking Ultima series and credited with popularizing the term “avatar” and helping define the MMORPG genre, Richard has spent more than four decades shaping interactive entertainment and virtual worlds. In 2008, he became the first second-generation American astronaut when he launched aboard Soyuz TMA-13 to the International Space Station as a private astronaut. Beyond spaceflight, Richard has completed expeditions across all seven continents, journeyed pole to pole, and descended to Challenger Deep, becoming the first explorer to achieve all three milestones. He currently serves as President of The Explorers Club and continues advocating for exploration, science, education, and humanity’s future beyond Earth.