This is really good news. Burt Rutan and Scaled Composites announced a new spacecraft almost ready for testing. This thing will be carried up by a specially designed plane and then launched to reach space.
The government space programs seem to be stagnating. It’s great to see private firms get into the mix. I’ve seen a few announcements in the last few years for privately run space programs; I’ve wondered if any of them were partially funded by Robert Heinlein’s estate. He’s been a prime mover and shaker in the space program–you’d be surprised how many people in spaceflight he’s inspired and influenced. Regardless, I’m glad to see someone making progress on spaceflight. Arthur C. Clarke said that we were 50 years ahead of our time with Apollo, but even if that were true, our time is still coming for a greater presence in the solar neighborhood.
You can find the Rutan spacecraft story here.