Pioneers move from cyberspace to outer space

About 50 years ago, outer space was the future, with the USA and USSR battling to see who go farther and explore more.

After the Soviets went broke and America declared victory and moved on, computers and the Internet ended up fueling scientific and technological progress.

Now, the unimaginable mountains of cash that early Internet pioneers earned starting modern giants like PayPal and Google, are fueling a new privately funded and possibly profitable space travel renaissance.

Today, possibly as you read this column, a rocket built by SpaceX is undergoing a full engine test fire, one week befo...