Commercial space tourism got off to a good start for 2009 with the New Year’s Day announcement by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson that Virgin Galactic has signed a 20-year lease agreement with the state of New Mexico.

Space is closer than we think, the BBC reports.

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) won a NASA contract to send cargo to and from the International Space Station ( ISS). The ISS Cargo Resupply Services (CRS) contract requires SpaceX to carry at least 20,000 kg of cargo to the orbiting complex, for a value of $US1.6 billion. NASA might elect to order more cargo missions worth up to US$3.1 billion.

WhiteKnightTwo, the twin fuselage carrier for the sub-orbital vehicle SpaceShipTwo, took off for its maiden flight 21 December 2008 from the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, CA. WhiteKnightTwo, or “WK2,” flew for an hour.

We never hear about it, but when the wagon trains were working their way West, the folks must have had to find some way to, well, take care of their bodily functions. The men, of course, because of their somewhat different physiques, might not have had much trouble taking care of business, but for the women it was a different story. Crossing the vast plains of what is now Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, and then the great deserts of the West with nary a tree or bush in sight must have caused some concern. But we never hear about it, so those hardy folk must have found some way to preserve their dignity and their privacy.

This week the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved Spaceport America’s environmental impact statement, and even more important, the launch site operator’s license. These two steps are needed to turn the temporary launch facility into the United State’s first spaceport specifically designed for the space tourism industry.

Last month, the Space Frontier Foundation (SFF) submitted a white paper titled “Space Solar Power ( SSP)—A Solution for Energy Independence & Climate Change” to the Obama-Biden Transition Project, which was published by the Obama transition team.

Jeff Greason, president and CEO of XCOR Aerospace, has selected Jules Klar, the president of Great American Travel who founded “$5-a-Day Tours” in 1961, as the agent for flights on XCOR’s spaceplane, the Lynx Mark I—which is now under construction at the XCOR facilities at the Mojave spaceport.

Usually no means no, but not to the folks building Spaceport America, a commercial spaceport currently in development and earmarked for space tourism. In fact, Steve Landeene, executive director of the New Mexico Space Authority (NMSA), viewed the loss of a tax increase referendum in Otero County, New Mexico, that would support Spaceport America as little more than a temporary setback.

We knew it was going to happen: sports free from the limitations of gravity. Following the bouncing ball takes on a whole new meaning when the ball can bounce of the ceiling, walls, floor, and especially when it's still in the hands of the player, also bouncing off the ceiling, walls, and floor.