Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo promises to shuttle citizens—wealthy ones who can shell out $250,000—into space as early as 2014. The ship uses a rocket motor to climb through the atmosphere, then drifts back to earth and lands on an airstrip. It’s Virgin’s bid to become the leading name in space tourism, and it could end an era of space travel dominated by governments.