Ian Toner: HAVE YOU PLACED YOUR BETS ON THE BILLIONAIRE SPACE RACE?

THERE WAS A TIME, NOT TOO LONG AGO, WHEN IT WAS JUST NASA AND RUSSIA EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE. 

BUT THOSE DAYS ARE LONG GONE.

LET ME EXPLAIN…

THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING AS THREE BILLIONAIRES VIE TO BE THE FIRST TO LAUNCH THEMSELVES INTO SPACE…

VIRGIN GALACTIC FOUNDER RICHARD BRANSON ROCKETED AHEAD TO BE THE NEW FRONTRUNNER IN THIS COSMIC QUEST FOR FORTUNE AND FAME. 

HE’S VENTURING TO THE EDGE OF SPACE ON JULY 11TH ….  TAKING VIRGIN’S FIRST TOURISM FLIGHT WITH A FULL CREW. HE’LL BE THE ONLY CIVILIAN ON BOARD.

NINE DAYS LATER, JEFF BEZOS PLANS TO DO THE SAME ON HIS BLUE ORIGIN ROCKET.

HE WAS THE FIRST TO PLAN THE TRIP – CREATING HIS SPACE ADVENTURE BACK IN 2000.

THE LAUNCH COMES AT A PERFECT TIME FOR BEZOS, AS HE JUST STEPPED DOWN FROM HIS CEO ROLE AT AMAZON

THE THIRD UBER-WEALTHY SPACE EXPLORER IS TESLA’S ELON MUSK.

SINCE FOUNDING SPACEX IN 2002, MUSK HAS HELPED FINANCE 127 TOTAL LAUNCHES.

NOW HE’S PLANNING TO MAKE THE TRIP IN PERSON, BUT HE HASN’T SCHEDULED ANY LAUNCH DATE JUST YET.

THREE BILLIONAIRES WITH THEIR HEADS – AND DREAMS – WAY, WAY ABOVE THE CLOUDS.

WOULD YOU GO INTO SPACE?  LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.