Richard Garriott of Ultima fame will be the next space tourist if all goes well.  He’s currently slated for a visit to the International Space Station in October 2008. 

This one hits a little close to home for me.  Not long after the release of Ultima III Richard’s brother Robert invited me to tour their company, Origin Systems.  Most people were working in one big room with computers jammed side by side on long tables.  The walls of that room were covered with the map they were developing for Ultima IV.  They had people folding, filling, and sealing boxes of Ultima III for shipment.  It really hit home that here were a couple of guys who had a vision and managed to get it going with very little.  To see Richard now so successful that he’s headed off to space as a tourist is an amazing thing.  Good for you Richard!