If I were to invent an anti gravity, electromagnetic system that could take off from my backyard in silence, fly to orbit at Mach 3 circle the international space station and return without using any fuel, what would the "class" be?
Dead impressed, I should think. Their usual teachers do pretty boring stuff.
Since it goes into space, I would guess it would be a spacecraft. You have a good point though, as new technology comes along, legislation and categorization struggles to keep up. From what I recall, early commercial hovercraft captains were required to have an ATPL as well as a master mariner's ticket.