The Columbus Dispatch yesterday reported that Rickenbacker Airport, the former SAC base south of town now primarily serving industry and shipping traffic, is in the running as a home for PlanetSpace's planned shuttle-like tourist flights into orbit beginning in 2008.

PlanetSpace has designed several space vehicles, including what they believe to be a practical, affordable vehicle for earth-to-orbit traffic. The Silver Dart is a flexible hypersonic vehicle capable of a controlled return to Earth from orbit. It will be driven into orbit via booster rockets. Unlike the American shuttle, the Silver Dart will be highly maneuverable, and so can leave orbit at any point and return to bases anywhere on the planet.

Earlier this year, PlanetSpace announced they had reached agreement to build their primary spaceport in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Another private spaceflight company, Virgin Galactic, recently reached agreement with the State of New Mexico to host a space port. The state will put up $225 million as their share of the development costs.

PlanetSpace is currently entertaining bids from various possible U.S. facilities. Columbus is supposedly putting together an offer with the help of the Chamber of Commerce. PlanetSpace claims they will have 500 people employed at the facility within 3 years, and hope to begin flights as early as 2008.

Cynic that I am, I have to admit this story has a bit of a Music Man flavor to me. For example, on their web site, PlanetSpace makes a point of elaborating on their plans to create a reality show in space.

Nonetheless, I'm praying this works out. If I have the shekels, I'll be in line to take a flight. I read Heinlein's The Man Who Sold the Moon long ago, but I never thought I'd live to see it happen.