2021 Notebook: Billionaires and the space race

By The Associated Press

Captain Kirk finally made it into space this past year. William Shatner was part of the new wave of civilian travelers sponsored by names like Bezos, Musk and Branson who are heading upward 10 years after NASA’s shuttle program ended. But there are big differences. What does entrepreneurial space travel have in common with its more nation-focused counterpart, and what are the contrasts? How are corporate space jaunts changing the face of the trip? AP Aerospace Writer Marcia Dunn says she watched civilians get launched into space in 2021 and was amazed as she watched “science fiction turn into science fact.”