The incipient space tourism industry has seen a breathtaking flurry of activity in the wake of last October’s X Prize victory by Burt Rutan’s SpaceShipOne. First came the news that billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson was working with Rutan to create several new spacecraft — modeled after SpaceShipOne, but larger — to serve as the fleet of Virgin Galactic, a company which will sell suborbital space trips for about $200,000 each. The company reportedly has more than 7,000 people already signed up, and the first flights are planned for 2008. Another X Prize competitor, AERA Corporation, also reportedly plans to launch … Continue reading Notes & Briefs