Where No Man Has Gone Before

Are we on track with the Star Trek timeline? NASA made a 2-year agreement with the Virgin Galactic space-tourism company. (Yes, Virgin, as in Richard Branson's Virgin Records. The millionaire is creating a fleet based on the first privately-funded SpaceShipOne.) Together, they will work on new technologies that will include hybrid rockets. The goal is travel five-times the speed of sound. 2 years is actually an ambitious number to push travel that fast, but still a long way from the speed of light. According to ST: First Contact, we will have achieved warp technology by the year 2063. So don't forget to put that on your calendar.