Who'da Thunk? This news item says that 38,000 people have put down a deposit for a ride on Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne, via Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic company. Full price: $200,000.

New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Rick Homans said construction of the spaceport, to be built largely underground in the south of the state near the White Sands Missile Range, could begin in early 2007, depending on approval from environmental and aviation authorities.

That's a lot of people, and a whole lot of money. They'd better spend a bit of it up front on writing an airtight waiver for passengers to sign.