The Beginning of the Final Frontier

On Sunday morning, Richard Branson became the first billionaire in space when he rode Virgin Galactic Space Ship Unity to an altitude of approximately 53 miles, beating out private-sector spacefaring rivals Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. To be fair, Musk is wholly supportive of Branson and has reportedly purchased a ticket on an upcoming Virgin Galactic flight. Bezos, not to be outdone, plans a trip to space next week on a spaceship developed by his company, Blue Origin. And Bezos did graciously congratulate Branson upon his safe return Sunday.

There is a dispute as to whether Sunday’s trip actuall...