This is "a very big deal," Virgin president Sir Richard Branson told The Associated Press. "There are a number of big deals on the way to getting commercial space travel becoming a reality. This was a very big step. We now know that the spaceship glides. We know it can be dropped safely from the mothership and we know it can land safely. That's three big ticks."
Yes, it is a very big deal. Private commercial space flight isn't here, but it sure does look like it's coming. This will be the future. When it arrives, it will be an infant, doing a little more than crawling, But, all things start in their infancy.
Virgin Galactic has a six-passenger space ship. The cost per ticket is something that only multi-millionaires can afford, something like $200K for a very short space ride.
The Associated Press reports that according to Virgin Galactic, "Some 370 customers have plunked down deposits totaling $50 million."
I don't think that in this post Star Trek age, Mr. Branson's company will be lacking passengers.