Sir Branson in Space

The world’s first private, commercial flights into space will begin by 2007, according to Sir Richard Branson, who unveiled plans today for a new “space airline” called VirginGalactic. Branson is supplying $25 million to Burt Rutan, of SpaceShipOne fame, to build a fleet of spacecraft that will take well-heeled passengers into space at a cost of about $180,000 per seat, the BBC reports.