Let Me Dance Among the Stars: British billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic will place its headquarters and mission control center in New Mexico, per an agreement announced Tuesday. The company plans to build a $200 million spaceport on 27 acres of state land in the southern portion of New Mexico, from which it will send paying tourists into space. According to news service reports, the company expects to make the first flight by early 2009.
Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon rebrand is months away and not yet assured.