Well, to be precise, Jeff Bezos has a rocket. He's the founder of Amazon.com, and he's apparently been working on this for a while. It's not a big rocket, but it's really, truly a rocket. Its first successful launch was in November. He's got pictures and a movie at the project's website, Blue Origin. 
How the heck did I miss this story at the time?!? It turns out that I'm not the only one. It didn't get wide coverage until January, when an FAA notice from November was published, warning air traffic to stay clear of the launch area. But I still missed it in January! Anyway, you might ask yourself, as I did, "Why?!?" My first assumption was...because he can. He's got a ton of money. I'm inclined to think that Amazon.com is very nearly as big a deal as the development of the World Wide Web itself, so no matter how much he's made, he deserves more. So what does Jeff have to say about this? He says it's the first step toward affordable space travel. We’re working, patiently and step-by-step, to lower the cost of spaceflight so that many people can afford to go and so that we humans can better continue exploring the solar system. [...] and we do not kid ourselves into thinking this will get easier as we go along. Smaller, more frequent steps drive a faster rate of learning, help us maintain focus, and give each of us an opportunity to see our latest work fly sooner.
They're hiring too. Doesn't matter if you're not a rocket scientist. "Our hiring bar is unabashedly extreme," says Jeff, so even if you don't qualify for one of the 17 jobs posted at their website, feel free to forward a resume. They're also looking for interns for summer 2007, so if you're a student, or know one, you'll definitely want to look into this.
Now, when Jeff talks about affordable space travel, he's definitely contrasting himself with gazillionaire (and occasional space case) Richard Branson. Branson has a pair of big brass ones, though: he's already taking reservations! (It's a Flash site, so I took a screengrab.)  Find your nearest space agent! Like I said, a pair of big brass ones. BTW, I checked. Virtouso.com ("We Orchestrate Dreams") based in Fort Worth, TX of all places, is the exclusive North American, uhm, space agent. Operators are standing by. At least the $20,000 deposit is refundable. He doesn't mention how many miles on Virgin Atlantic you'd have to redeem to get a seat on Virgin Galactic, but I suspect it's a bunch. Certainly cheaper to stop whining and pony up the $200,000. I'm not sure what it says about me that I trust the guy who made his fortune in online retailing more than a former record company weasel who laid his money on bricks-and-mortar retailing...but I'm sure it says something. | 
