The Start of a New Era in Space Travel

Ok. So, I didn't become a Rocket Scientist or Aerospace Engineer like I thought I was going to do when I was a kid.  I love space and the tech behind getting us there.  I watched Star Trek and all of it's offspring, Star Wars, Buck Rogers, Battle Star Glactica, and any other Space oriented Sci Fi movie or TV show I could.  I read alot of Sci Fi books too.  It is what I enjoy.  Now, I will dream out loud, on the net, about space and getting there. 

So much has happened lately that is changing the final frontier into something a lot more like Star Trek.  All those Sci fi movies are in my head when I dream of space, what it's like, and how to get there.  We are a long ways from that.  But, I can see it in the future. 

Can you believe we have companies booking trips to space?  It's amazing.  It's right out of my dreams.  This article http://www.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/mcgee/2010-02-24-space-travel_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip takes a look at the new Space Tourism industry that started with SpaceShipOne winning the Anasari X prize in 2004.  Virgin Galactic baught the contract and now has SpaceShipTwo.  They have already sold $50 Million in advance tickets at $200,000 a pop.  People are excited.

Now there are several companies shooting for the stars.  Here are a few:  http://www.xcor.com/, http://www.spacex.com/F9-001.php, http://www.blueorigin.com/letter.htm, http://www.armadilloaerospace.com/n.x/Armadillo/Home, http://masten-space.com/, http://www.upaerospace.us.com/, http://www.virgingalactic.com/, http://www.spaceadventures.com/.  Boeing is getting involved and selling seats too now: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-09-16-boeing-spaceship_N.htm. 

Wikipedia has a more complete list here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_private_spaceflight_companies.

There is a private company making space stations too: http://bigelowaerospace.com/.  There is even a Government agency to control them all now!  lol http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/.

We even have our own Federation: http://www.commercialspaceflight.org/. 

Spaceports are being built in several locations too.  One in New Mexico is called Spaceport America: http://www.spaceportamerica.com/.

The future is here and now.  It's a great time to get involved.  The Space tourism industry is building momentum and will soon launch.  Several companies are rumored to start creating astronauts as early as 2011.  I am waiting anxiously.  There are some big name companies getting involved too, like Boeing and Lockheed Martin.  This lends credibility and money to this venue.  This is the expanding of human horizons and moving us out into the solar system and eventually further.  New technologies develop when there is a need and a demand for them.  And so, I think we will see a lot of next levels tech being developed.  This will stimulate growth in alot of fields as humans start to expierence the rigours of space travel with a much larger cross section of society.  I can't wait to see what happens next!