In the April issue of Scientific American, veteran planetary scientist S. Alan Stern writes about how private spaceflight companies aren't just going to open space travel to wealthy tourists—they're going to revolutionize the way scientists study the environment around our planet. One of the programs that Stern and others are so excited about is SpaceX's Dragon space capsule. Last year the company became the first to launch to the International Space Station. In the future these capsules will offer space access to anyone, and at a price that is much lower than researchers currently have to pay to ride on a traditional rocket.

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