Re: Perhaps?
"The Virgin stuff is as silly and pointless now as it was five years ago."
"If rich idiots want an "Astronaut" Merit Badge for being fireworked up to an arbitrary altitude, more fool them."
I think you have just answered your own question there - SRB is a businessman, and he sees a business case for this venture and an opportunity to make a profit for Virgin Galactic, or perhaps as a loss-making halo product for the rest of the Virgin Group, as well as make his mark on history. Silly and pointless it is not.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
