Life is on another world when you have $US 20 Million to throw around. That's how much Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft) has poured into a venture with Burt Rutan/Scaled Composites to put the first commercially finded vehicle outside of the Earth's atmosphere.

There's even a commercial space race—the Ansari X Prize offerin $US 10 Million to "the first privately financed team to build and launch a vehicle capable of taking tourists into space".

Where do I buy my ticket? (Thanks to my reading friend The Economist for bringing me up to speed on this essential 21st century issue!).