We saw ground tests last week, but yesterday morning WhiteKnightTwo--the funky-looking double-wide plane that will take SpaceShipTwo and its cargo of millionaires on suborbital spaceflights--finally took off on its maiden voyage.

Read More »

It becomes less and less a future fever dream every day: Spaceport America in Las Cruces, NM, Virgin Galactic's future home, has gotten FAA approval to begin construction.

Read More »

Believe it or not, there's a company in New Mexico that has serious plans on the table to shoot this space tourist fishbowl into the sky by 2010. The design is a concept for now, but Armadillo Aerospace, with the blessing of the New Mexico government, hopes to build a working prototype by 2009. By 2010, the reusable vehicle could be blasting crews into space, where they will enjoy 360-degree views and a fairly unique spacecraft cabin experience. And probably death.

Read More »

Wired has a great feature on Richard Garriott, the father of MMORPG OG Ultima and the latest millionaire to get blasted up to the ISS as a paying tourist. More specifically, the gruelling 8 months of training Garriott must first endure at Zvyozdny Gorodok, (Star City), a.k.a. Yuri's house, a.k.a. where space flight was born. All tourists on the ISS must be capable of performing mission-critical duties in the case of an emergency, and Wired followed Garriott through the historic site every step of the way, grabbing fantastic photos of this incredibly historic facility in the process.

Read More »

Santa Monica has delivered a bright and shiny upgrade to its Pacific Ferris Wheel, dismantling the old one to make way for a new behemoth that boasts 160,000 LED lights. The 27-metre ride, manufactured by Chance Morgan Rides, delivers visual performances every night and cost the city US$1.5 million. Thanks to solar panels that soak up energy during the day to power the wheel, those extravagant light shows have a minuscule carbon footprint.

Read More »