Initial lightbulb.

• Position: Tech Startup of the Month - Beyond-Earth Enterprises - Brief Article

In 1998, Joe Latrell gathered his friends and family to commemorate the tragically short life of his son Joshua, a victim of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The group included a fair share of model rocketry buffs--Latrell among them--so the focal point of the day was a launch dedicated to Joshua.

"I wanted to do something to remember him by," said Latrell, "and show the world you can change things."

Five years later, Latrell and several compatriots decided to "do something bigger" than model rocketry and incorporated under the name Beyond-Earth Enterprises. After an initial vision of pursuing the $10 million...