Origins

Up and Away

Richard Branson promises to take us all up into space.

Branson created Virgin Atlantic Airways and is now building a private space shuttle business to take commercial travel to the next level (of altitude). Virgin Galactic currently boasts reservations for 475 people, who have each paid $200,000 for the opportunity to go into space. Does that come with in-flight meals?

To tell you the truth, I'm feeling rushed. Hold your rocket-powered horses. Not that I have even close to enough frequent flier points for that, but there's a whole lot to explore here on earth still. I want to visit the oldest tree in the world and experience an uninhabited island and get a little closer to setting foot on all of our continents.

I'm not saying you shouldn't go. And by you, I mean all those willing to ante up. Although the American space program has changed recently, there are many scientists who believe that this kind of private space tourism could fund the future of our exploration of space as a whole. And that sounds like a viable step.

So maybe I'm a homebody, but I'm going to hang here for a bit. There are still paths to find and places to go and earth-bound humans to see.

Space is amazing and promises to be a whole new wilderness. I just want to make sure we explore our own too.

From the ground,

-KK