Fly me to the moon (later)

This bit of news somehow escaped me when it was announced Wednesday but it's still worth mentioning now. Richard Branson, arguably the world's best known virgin, is announcing the commercialization of space flights. And at the bargain price of $200,000 a ticket, right around what I hear you'll pay for season tickets at the new Cowboys Stadium.

What's even more amazing is that, according to this story, 200 intrepid souls have already made reservations to come fly with Branson on this six-passenger (not including two crew members) spaceship.

Besides the fact that I have far more important things I would do with $200,000 at my immediate disposal, the spaceship's designer, one Burt Rutan, did not fill me with a lot of confidence when he said that, despite the craft's problems (a recent explosion on the ground killed three persons), once the ship starts flying it should be just as safe as any commercial airliner from the 1920s.

Sure. Fine. Whatever.