Proponents predict SpaceX's efforts will boost public and government confidence in others already developing next-generation vehicles and accelerate a new era of commercial entities doing everything from ferrying cargo and astronauts to blasting wealthy space tourists into orbit.

WSJ: SpaceX's Pioneering Flight Plans

He hopes to sell his spare tire habitats to scientific companies and wealthy adventurers looking for space hotels.

NPR: Space Station To Get $18 Million Balloon-Like Room

The first tourist in space RICHARD GARRIOTT, a wealthy software entrepreneur and the son of an astronaut, has put down deposits with two of the firms that are gearing up to take private citizens into space.

FORBES: Sidelines

Despite the early financial support from wealthy investors and the backing of well-known space-exploration researchers, Planetary Resources faces many technical questions and uncertainties about costs and the technology required to extract materials from asteroids.

WSJ: Planetary's Plan to Mine an Asteroid

It is true that this does happen: whether you really are a genius or whether you just happen to be in the right space at the right time you can indeed become plutocratically wealthy through the operations of capitalism.

FORBES: China Still Hasn't Got The Hang Of This Capitalism Thing

Of course, a handful of wealthy adventurers do not make a market--and even those involved agree that space tourism isn't ready for the mainstream.

FORBES: The New Space Race

And the price that will surely be extracted by Saudi Arabia and other wealthy Muslim nations from whom NASA will be seeking "contributions" will be access to know-how and possibly space-launch-related production capabilities currently deemed too sensitive to transfer.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Farewell to space