List of private spaceflight companies
Encyclopedia
This page is a list of non-governmental entities that currently offer – or are planning to offer – equipment and services geared towards spaceflight
, both robotic
and human spaceflight
.
Spaceflight
Spaceflight is the act of travelling into or through outer space. Spaceflight can occur with spacecraft which may, or may not, have humans on board. Examples of human spaceflight include the Russian Soyuz program, the U.S. Space shuttle program, as well as the ongoing International Space Station...
, both robotic
Robotic spacecraft
A robotic spacecraft is a spacecraft with no humans on board, that is usually under telerobotic control. A robotic spacecraft designed to make scientific research measurements is often called a space probe. Many space missions are more suited to telerobotic rather than crewed operation, due to...
and human spaceflight
Human spaceflight
Human spaceflight is spaceflight with humans on the spacecraft. When a spacecraft is manned, it can be piloted directly, as opposed to machine or robotic space probes and remotely-controlled satellites....
.
List of abbreviations used in this article |
---|
LEO: Low Earth orbit Low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km... GTO: Geostationary transfer orbit Geostationary transfer orbit A geosynchronous transfer orbit or geostationary transfer orbit is a Hohmann transfer orbit used to reach geosynchronous or geostationary orbit.... VTOL: Vertical take-off and landing SSTO: Single-stage-to-orbit Single-stage-to-orbit A single-stage-to-orbit vehicle reaches orbit from the surface of a body without jettisoning hardware, expending only propellants and fluids. The term usually, but not exclusively, refers to reusable vehicles.... TSTO: Two-stage-to-orbit Two-stage-to-orbit A two-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle is a spacecraft in which two distinct stages provide propulsion consecutively in order to achieve orbital velocity... SSTSO: Single-stage-to-sub-orbit |
Crew and cargo transport vehicles
Company name | Craft name | Craft type | Launcher name |
Launcher type |
Maximum reach |
Passenger capacity |
Craft status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AERA Corporation AERA Corporation AERA refers to a prospective space tourism company that claims it will operate "the safest space flight system ever created." Altairis, SACI's first generation suborbital spacecraft. It is vertically launched, lands horizontally and can send seven passengers to space. The first flight was... |
Altairis | rocket | self-powered | self-powered | sub-orbit | 7 | cancelled | |
ARCA | Stabilo | capsule | Solar Montgolfier | balloon | sub-orbit | 1 | testing | |
ARCA | Orizont | spaceplane | Solar Montgolfier | balloon | sub-orbit | 2 | development | |
Armadillo Aerospace Armadillo Aerospace Armadillo Aerospace is an aerospace startup company based in Mesquite, Texas. Its initial goal is to build a manned suborbital spacecraft capable of space tourism, but it has stated long-term ambitions of orbital spaceflight. The company was founded by John Carmack.On October 24, 2008, Armadillo... |
Black Armadillo | rocket | self-powered | self-powered | sub-orbit | 1-3 | testing | |
Bigelow Aerospace Bigelow Aerospace Bigelow Aerospace is a North Las Vegas, Nevada space technology startup company that is pioneering work on expandable space station modules. Bigelow Aerospace was founded by Robert Bigelow in 1998... and Boeing Boeing The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001... |
CST-100 | capsule | Atlas V Atlas V Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance... |
rocket | LEO | 7 | testing | First use is planned for 2015 |
Bigelow Aerospace Bigelow Aerospace Bigelow Aerospace is a North Las Vegas, Nevada space technology startup company that is pioneering work on expandable space station modules. Bigelow Aerospace was founded by Robert Bigelow in 1998... and Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area.... |
Orion Lite Orion Lite The CST-100 crew capsule is a spacecraft design proposed by Boeing in collaboration with Bigelow Aerospace as their entry for NASA's Commercial Crew Development program... |
capsule | Falcon 9 Falcon 9 Falcon 9 is a rocket-powered spaceflight launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of its two-stage-to-orbit vehicle use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants... |
rocket | LEO | 6-7 | cancelled | |
Blue Origin Blue Origin Blue Origin is a privately funded aerospace company set up by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. The company was awarded $3.7 million in funding in 2009 by NASA via a Space Act Agreement under the Commercial Crew Development program for development of concepts and technologies to support future human... |
New Shepard Blue Origin New Shepard The Blue Origin New Shepard reusable launch vehicle is a vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing , suborbital manned rocket that is being developed by Blue Origin, a company owned by Amazon.com founder and businessman Jeff Bezos, as a commercial system for suborbital space tourism.The New Shepard makes... |
rocket | self-powered (SSTSO) | self-powered (SSTSO) | sub-orbit | 3 | testing | |
Copenhagen Suborbitals Copenhagen Suborbitals Copenhagen Suborbitals is a non-profit organization working towards suborbital manned spaceflight. Founded in 2008 by Kristian von Bengtson and Peter Madsen the project has accomplished a successful sea launch of a test hybrid rocket, carrying a full scale human model... |
Tycho Brahe | rocket | self-powered | self-powered | sub-orbit | 1 | testing | |
EADS Astrium EADS Astrium Astrium Satellites is one of the three business units of Astrium, a subsidiary of EADS. It is a European space manufacturer involved in the manufacture of spacecraft used for science, Earth observation and telecommunication, as well as the equipment and subsystems used therein and related ground... |
unnamed craft EADS Astrium Space Tourism Project The EADS Astrium Space Tourism Project, also called EADS Astrium TBN according to some sources, is a suborbital spaceplane concept for carrying space tourists, proposed by EADS Astrium, the space subsidiary of the European consortium EADS. A mockup was officially unveiled in Paris on June 13,... |
spaceplane | self-powered (SSTSO) | self-powered (SSTSO) | sub-orbit | 4 | development | |
Excalibur Almaz Excalibur Almaz Excalibur Almaz is a private spaceflight company which plans to provide orbital space tourism, and provide test beds for experiments in a microgravity environment., Excalibur hoped to begin flights by 2012 with revenue flights starting as early as 2013.... |
TKS TKS spacecraft TKS spacecraft was a Soviet spacecraft design in the late 1960s intended to supply the military Almaz space station. The spacecraft was designed for manned or autonomous cargo resupply use... derivative |
capsule | multiple | rocket | LEO | 3 | development | |
da Vinci Project Da Vinci Project The da Vinci Project was a privately funded, volunteer-staffed attempt to launch a reusable manned suborbital spacecraft. It was formed in 1996 specifically to be a contender for the Ansari X PRIZE for the first non-governmental reusable manned spacecraft. The project was based in Toronto,... |
Wild Fire | capsule | - | balloon | sub-orbit | 3 | cancelled | |
Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Corporation is an American aerospace company based in Mojave, California. It was founded in 1996 by Roderick and Randa Milliron, who also co-founded Trans Lunar Research.... |
Solaris X | capsule | self-powered (SSTSO) | self-powered (SSTSO) | sub-orbit | 6 | cancelled | |
Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Corporation is an American aerospace company based in Mojave, California. It was founded in 1996 by Roderick and Randa Milliron, who also co-founded Trans Lunar Research.... |
Crew Module | capsule | Neptune TSAAHTO | rocket | lunar orbit | 6 | development | |
Japanese Rocket Society | Kankoh-maru Kankoh-maru The is the name of a proposed vertical takeoff and landing, single-stage to orbit, reusable launch vehicle family of rockets, and the spacecraft tour vehicle designed to be boosted by said rocket.-Details:... |
rocket | self-powered (SSTO) | self-powered (SSTO) | LEO | 50 | proposed | Sponsers needed |
Orbital Sciences Corp. Orbital Sciences Corporation Orbital Sciences Corporation is an American company which specializes in the manufacturing and launch of satellites. Its Launch Systems Group is heavily involved with missile defense launch systems... |
Cygnus Cygnus spacecraft The Cygnus spacecraft is an unmanned resupply spacecraft being developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation and Thales Alenia Space as part of NASA's COTS project. It is designed to transport supplies to the International Space Station after the retirement of the Space Shuttle... |
capsule | Taurus II Taurus II Taurus II is an expendable launch system being developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It is a two stage vehicle designed to launch payloads weighing up to into low-Earth orbit... |
rocket | LEO | - | development | First use planned for 2011 |
Orbital Sciences Corp. Orbital Sciences Corporation Orbital Sciences Corporation is an American company which specializes in the manufacturing and launch of satellites. Its Launch Systems Group is heavily involved with missile defense launch systems... |
Prometheus Prometheus (spacecraft) Prometheus was a proposed manned vertical-takeoff, horizontal-landing spaceplane concept put forward by Orbital Sciences Corporation in late 2010 as part of the second phase of NASA's Commercial Crew Development program.-Design:... |
spaceplane | Atlas V Atlas V Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance... |
rocket | LEO | 4 | development | Developement winding down following failure to receive CCDev funds |
PlanetSpace PlanetSpace PlanetSpace is a privately funded Chicago-based rocket and space travel project founded by Geoff Sheerin, CEO of the Canadian Arrow corporation and Dr... |
Canadian Arrow Canadian Arrow The Canadian Arrow is a privately funded rocket and space travel project founded by London, Ontario, Canada entrepreneurs Geoff Sheerin, Dan McKibbon and Chris Corke... |
rocket | self-powered | self-powered | sub-orbit | 3 | testing | |
PlanetSpace PlanetSpace PlanetSpace is a privately funded Chicago-based rocket and space travel project founded by Geoff Sheerin, CEO of the Canadian Arrow corporation and Dr... |
Silver Dart | spaceplane | Canadian Arrow | rocket | LEO | 8 | development | |
Reaction Engines Ltd. Reaction Engines Limited Reaction Engines Limited is a British aerospace company based in Oxfordshire, England.- History & personnel :Reaction Engines was founded in 1989 by Alan Bond and Richard Varvill and John Scott-Scott... |
HOTOL HOTOL HOTOL, for Horizontal Take-Off and Landing, was a British air-breathing space shuttle effort by Rolls Royce and British Aerospace.Designed as a single-stage-to-orbit reusable winged launch vehicle, it was to be fitted with a unique air-breathing engine, the RB545 called the Swallow, to be... |
spaceplane | self-powered (SSTO) | self-powered (SSTO) | LEO | - | cancelled | |
Reaction Engines Ltd. Reaction Engines Limited Reaction Engines Limited is a British aerospace company based in Oxfordshire, England.- History & personnel :Reaction Engines was founded in 1989 by Alan Bond and Richard Varvill and John Scott-Scott... |
HOTOL 2 HOTOL HOTOL, for Horizontal Take-Off and Landing, was a British air-breathing space shuttle effort by Rolls Royce and British Aerospace.Designed as a single-stage-to-orbit reusable winged launch vehicle, it was to be fitted with a unique air-breathing engine, the RB545 called the Swallow, to be... |
spaceplane | An 225 | airplane | LEO | - | proposed | |
Reaction Engines Ltd. Reaction Engines Limited Reaction Engines Limited is a British aerospace company based in Oxfordshire, England.- History & personnel :Reaction Engines was founded in 1989 by Alan Bond and Richard Varvill and John Scott-Scott... |
Skylon | spaceplane | self-powered (SSTO) | self-powered (SSTO) | LEO | 5-20 | development | |
Rocketplane Kistler Rocketplane Kistler Rocketplane Kistler was a reusable spacecraft firm originally based in Oklahoma before moving to Wisconsin. Formed in 2006 by Rocketplane Limited, Inc... |
K-1 | rocket | self-powered (TSTO) | self-powered (TSTO) | LEO | - | cancelled | |
Rocketplane Kistler Rocketplane Kistler Rocketplane Kistler was a reusable spacecraft firm originally based in Oklahoma before moving to Wisconsin. Formed in 2006 by Rocketplane Limited, Inc... |
Rocketplane XP Rocketplane XP The Rocketplane XP is a former suborbital spaceplane design that was under development circa 2005 by Rocketplane Kistler. The vehicle was to be powered by two jet engines and a rocket engine, intended to enable it to reach suborbital space. The XP was being designed to operate from existing... |
spaceplane | self-powered (SSTSO) | self-powered (SSTSO) | sub-orbit | 6 | cancelled | |
Rotary Rocket Rotary Rocket Rotary Rocket, Inc, was a rocketry company headquartered in a facility at Mojave Airport that developed the Roton concept in the late 1990s as a fully reusable single-stage-to-orbit manned spacecraft. Roton was intended to reduce costs of launching payloads into low earth orbit by a factor of... |
Roton | rocket | self-powered (SSTO) | self-powered (SSTO) | LEO | 2 | cancelled | |
Scaled Composites Scaled Composites Scaled Composites is an aerospace company founded by Burt Rutan and currently owned by Northrop Grumman that is located at the Mojave Spaceport, Mojave, California, United States... and Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic is a company within Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites... (The Spaceship Company The Spaceship Company The Spaceship Company is a spacecraft manufacturing company formed by Burt Rutan and Richard Branson in mid-2005, jointly owned by Virgin Group and Scaled Composites, which will own the technology created by Scaled for Virgin Galactic's Virgin SpaceShip program... ) |
SpaceShipOne | spaceplane | WhiteKnightOne | airplane | sub-orbit | 2 | retired (3/3) | |
Scaled Composites Scaled Composites Scaled Composites is an aerospace company founded by Burt Rutan and currently owned by Northrop Grumman that is located at the Mojave Spaceport, Mojave, California, United States... and Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic is a company within Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites... (The Spaceship Company The Spaceship Company The Spaceship Company is a spacecraft manufacturing company formed by Burt Rutan and Richard Branson in mid-2005, jointly owned by Virgin Group and Scaled Composites, which will own the technology created by Scaled for Virgin Galactic's Virgin SpaceShip program... ) |
SpaceShipTwo Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo The Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo is a suborbital, air-launched spaceplane, designed for space tourism. It is under development by The Spaceship Company, a California-based joint venture between Scaled Composites and the Virgin Group, as part of the Tier 1b program.SpaceShipTwo is... |
spaceplane | WhiteKnightTwo | airplane | sub-orbit | 8 | testing | |
Scaled Composites Scaled Composites Scaled Composites is an aerospace company founded by Burt Rutan and currently owned by Northrop Grumman that is located at the Mojave Spaceport, Mojave, California, United States... and Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic is a company within Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites... (The Spaceship Company The Spaceship Company The Spaceship Company is a spacecraft manufacturing company formed by Burt Rutan and Richard Branson in mid-2005, jointly owned by Virgin Group and Scaled Composites, which will own the technology created by Scaled for Virgin Galactic's Virgin SpaceShip program... ) |
SpaceShipThree Scaled Composites SpaceShipThree The Scaled Composites SpaceShipThree is a proposed spaceplane to be developed by Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites if SpaceShipTwo is successful. The originally proposed vehicle mission was orbital spaceflight... |
spaceplane | WhiteKnightTwo | airplane | LEO (or suborbital passenger-delivery) | ? | proposed | |
Space Adventures Space Adventures Space Adventures, Ltd. is a Virginia, USA-based space tourism company founded in 1998 by Eric C. Anderson. , offerings include zero-gravity atmospheric flights, orbital spaceflights , and other spaceflight-related experiences including cosmonaut training, spacewalk training, and launch tours... and Myasishchev Design Bureau Myasishchev V. M. Myasishchev Experimental Design Bureau or OKB-23, founded in 1951 by Vladimir Myasishchev) was one of the chief Soviet aerospace design bureaus until its dissolution in 1960. Vladimir Myasishchev went on to head TsAGI... |
Explorer (Cosmopolis XXI, C-21) | spaceplane | M-55X Myasishchev M-55 |-See also:-External links:* * *... |
airplane | sub-orbit | 5 | development | |
Space Transport Corp. Space Transport Corporation Space Transport Corporation, or STC, was a company based in Forks, Washington whose goal is to commercialize space. The company was founded in 2002 by Eric Meier and Philip Storm. The company planned to provide small payload launch and space tourism services... |
Rubicon I | rocket | self-powered (SSTSO) | self-powered (SSTSO) | sub-orbit | 3 | cancelled | |
SpaceDev SpaceDev SpaceDev, a part of the "Space Systems Business" of Sierra Nevada Corporation, is prominent for its spaceflight and microsatellite work. It designed and built the hybrid rocket motors for Paul Allen's Tier One suborbital SpaceShipOne space program operated by Scaled Composites... |
Dream Chaser SpaceDev Dream Chaser The Dream Chaser is a crewed suborbital and orbital vertical-takeoff, horizontal-landing lifting-body spaceplane being developed by SpaceDev, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sierra Nevada Corporation . The Dream Chaser design is planned to carry seven people to and from low earth orbit... |
spaceplane | Atlas V Atlas V Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance... |
rocket | LEO | 7 | development | |
SpaceX SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California... |
Dragon | capsule | Falcon 9 Falcon 9 Falcon 9 is a rocket-powered spaceflight launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of its two-stage-to-orbit vehicle use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants... |
rocket | LEO | 7 | operational (1/1) | 1 spacecraft has been launched into orbit and returned to earth |
Starchaser Industries Starchaser Industries Starchaser Industries is a privately owned company based in the UK whose principle aim is to become a viable business in space tourism. Formed in 1992, the company has designed and built several rocket systems - all prototypes - to investigate the feasibility of producing a Space Tourism Vehicle... |
NOVA Starchaser Industries Starchaser Industries is a privately owned company based in the UK whose principle aim is to become a viable business in space tourism. Formed in 1992, the company has designed and built several rocket systems - all prototypes - to investigate the feasibility of producing a Space Tourism Vehicle... |
capsule | Starchaser 4 Starchaser 4 The Starchaser 4, also known as Nova was a British prototype rocket built by Starchaser Industries.-History:It was launched once in 2001, after which it was retired due to fin damage sustained on landing.-Test flight:... |
rocket | sub-orbit | - | testing | |
Starchaser Industries Starchaser Industries Starchaser Industries is a privately owned company based in the UK whose principle aim is to become a viable business in space tourism. Formed in 1992, the company has designed and built several rocket systems - all prototypes - to investigate the feasibility of producing a Space Tourism Vehicle... |
Thunderstar Starchaser Industries Starchaser Industries is a privately owned company based in the UK whose principle aim is to become a viable business in space tourism. Formed in 1992, the company has designed and built several rocket systems - all prototypes - to investigate the feasibility of producing a Space Tourism Vehicle... |
capsule | Starchaser 5 Starchaser Industries Starchaser Industries is a privately owned company based in the UK whose principle aim is to become a viable business in space tourism. Formed in 1992, the company has designed and built several rocket systems - all prototypes - to investigate the feasibility of producing a Space Tourism Vehicle... |
rocket | sub-orbit | 3 | development | |
Starchaser Industries Starchaser Industries Starchaser Industries is a privately owned company based in the UK whose principle aim is to become a viable business in space tourism. Formed in 1992, the company has designed and built several rocket systems - all prototypes - to investigate the feasibility of producing a Space Tourism Vehicle... |
Thunderbird Starchaser Industries Starchaser Industries is a privately owned company based in the UK whose principle aim is to become a viable business in space tourism. Formed in 1992, the company has designed and built several rocket systems - all prototypes - to investigate the feasibility of producing a Space Tourism Vehicle... |
capsule | Starchaser 5 Starchaser Industries Starchaser Industries is a privately owned company based in the UK whose principle aim is to become a viable business in space tourism. Formed in 1992, the company has designed and built several rocket systems - all prototypes - to investigate the feasibility of producing a Space Tourism Vehicle... |
rocket | sub-orbit | 6 | development | |
Truax Engineering, Inc. | X-3 Volksrocket | capsule | Private Enterprise | rocket | sub-orbit | 1 | cancelled | |
t/Space T/Space t/Space is an American aerospace company which was participating in NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program for delivering cargo and crew to the International Space Station. The company's CEO is Charles Duelfer who ran the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and the... |
CXV | capsule | QuickReach | rocket | LEO and lunar orbit | 6 | development | |
Venturer Aerospace | S-550 S-550 Space capsule The S-550 was a proposed manned space capsule, designed in 2005-6 at Venturer Aerospace, in response to the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program to provide commercial resupply and logistics support for the International Space Station.... |
capsule | Falcon 9 Falcon 9 Falcon 9 is a rocket-powered spaceflight launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of its two-stage-to-orbit vehicle use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants... |
rocket | LEO | 6 | cancelled | |
XCOR XCOR Aerospace XCOR Aerospace is an American private rocket engine and spaceflight development company based at the Mojave Spaceport in Mojave, California. XCOR was formed by former members of the Rotary Rocket rocket engine development team in September, 1999... |
Xerus | spaceplane | self-powered (SSTSO) | self-powered (SSTSO) | sub-orbit | 2 | cancelled | |
XCOR XCOR Aerospace XCOR Aerospace is an American private rocket engine and spaceflight development company based at the Mojave Spaceport in Mojave, California. XCOR was formed by former members of the Rotary Rocket rocket engine development team in September, 1999... and RocketShip Tours RocketShip Tours RocketShip Tours is an American space tourism company founded by travel industry entrepreneur Jules Klar which plans to provide sub-orbital human spaceflights to the paying public, in partnership with rocketplane developer XCOR Aerospace... |
Lynx Lynx rocketplane The Lynx rocketplane is a suborbital horizontal-takeoff, horizontal-landing ,rocket-powered spaceplane being developed by the California-based company XCOR to compete in the emerging suborbital space flight market. The Lynx is projected to carry one pilot, a ticketed passenger, and/or a payload or... |
spaceplane | self-powered (SSTSO) | self-powered (SSTSO) | sub-orbit | 1 | development |
Space stations
Private Company name | Space Craft name | Space Craft type | Internal volume |
Passenger capacity |
Craft status | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bigelow Aerospace Bigelow Aerospace Bigelow Aerospace is a North Las Vegas, Nevada space technology startup company that is pioneering work on expandable space station modules. Bigelow Aerospace was founded by Robert Bigelow in 1998... |
Genesis I | Inflatable module | 11.5 m3 (406.1 cu ft) | unmanned | currently in LEO | |
Bigelow Aerospace Bigelow Aerospace Bigelow Aerospace is a North Las Vegas, Nevada space technology startup company that is pioneering work on expandable space station modules. Bigelow Aerospace was founded by Robert Bigelow in 1998... |
Genesis II Genesis II Genesis II is a 1973 American TV film created and produced by Gene Roddenberry and directed by John Llewellyn Moxey.It opens with the line, "My name is Dylan Hunt... |
Inflatable module | 11.5 m3 (406.1 cu ft) | unmanned | currently in LEO | |
Bigelow Aerospace Bigelow Aerospace Bigelow Aerospace is a North Las Vegas, Nevada space technology startup company that is pioneering work on expandable space station modules. Bigelow Aerospace was founded by Robert Bigelow in 1998... |
Galaxy Galaxy (module) Galaxy is a canceled prototype space habitat designed by the American firm Bigelow Aerospace, and was intended to be the third spacecraft launched by the company in their efforts to create a commercial space station... |
Inflatable module | 16.7 m3 (589.8 cu ft) | unmanned | cancelled | |
Bigelow Aerospace Bigelow Aerospace Bigelow Aerospace is a North Las Vegas, Nevada space technology startup company that is pioneering work on expandable space station modules. Bigelow Aerospace was founded by Robert Bigelow in 1998... |
Sundancer Sundancer Sundancer is the proposed third prototype space habitat to be launched by Bigelow Aerospace and the first human-rated expandable module based on TransHab technology acquired from NASA... |
Inflatable module | 180 m³ (6,357 ft³) | 3 | cancelled | |
Bigelow Aerospace Bigelow Aerospace Bigelow Aerospace is a North Las Vegas, Nevada space technology startup company that is pioneering work on expandable space station modules. Bigelow Aerospace was founded by Robert Bigelow in 1998... |
BA 330 | Inflatable module | 330 m³ (11,653 ft³) | 6 | development | |
Excalibur Almaz Excalibur Almaz Excalibur Almaz is a private spaceflight company which plans to provide orbital space tourism, and provide test beds for experiments in a microgravity environment., Excalibur hoped to begin flights by 2012 with revenue flights starting as early as 2013.... |
Almaz Almaz The Almaz program was a series of military space stations launched by the Soviet Union under cover of the civilian Salyut DOS-17K program after 1971.... derivative |
Rigid module | - | 3 | development | |
Galactic Suite Ltd. | Galactic Suite Galactic Suite Galactic Suite Design is an aerospace design company based in Barcelona, Spain. The company develops concepts, design and interiors of habitats and vehicles... |
Rigid module | - | 6 | proposed | |
Orbital Technologies/RSC Energia | Orbital Technologies Commercial Space Station Orbital Technologies Commercial Space Station The Orbital Technologies Commercial Space Station is an orbital space station intended for commercial clients. The station was proposed in 2010 by Orbital Technologies, a Russian aerospace firm, who is collaborating to develop the station with Rocket and Space Corporation Energia .As proposed, the... |
Rigid Module | The first module CSS will be volume about 20 m³. | 7 | development |
Launch vehicles
Company name | Launcher name |
Launcher type |
No. of stages |
Maximum reach |
Launcher status |
Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AirLaunch LLC AirLaunch LLC AirLaunch LLC was an aerospace design and development company headquartered in Kirkland, Washington. They hope to provide launch services for launching payloads into orbits around the Earth. This is to be realized through a method called air launch where a rocket is carried within an aircraft and... |
QuickReach | rocket | 2 | LEO | development | |
ARCASPACE ARCASPACE Asociația Română pentru Cosmonautică și Aeronautică or Romanian Cosmonautics and Aeronautics Association is a non-governmental organization that promotes aerospace projects as well as other space-related activities... |
HAAS | light rocket | 3 | LEO | development | |
Armadillo Aerospace Armadillo Aerospace Armadillo Aerospace is an aerospace startup company based in Mesquite, Texas. Its initial goal is to build a manned suborbital spacecraft capable of space tourism, but it has stated long-term ambitions of orbital spaceflight. The company was founded by John Carmack.On October 24, 2008, Armadillo... |
OTRAG derivative | medium rocket | variable | LEO | cancelled | |
Beal Aerospace Beal Aerospace Beal Aerospace was a launch vehicle development company, founded in February 1997 by Andrew Beal, president of Beal Bank in Dallas, Texas. The goal of the company was to build and operate a privately developed heavy lift orbital launch vehicle... |
BA-1 | light rocket | - | LEO | cancelled | |
Beal Aerospace Beal Aerospace Beal Aerospace was a launch vehicle development company, founded in February 1997 by Andrew Beal, president of Beal Bank in Dallas, Texas. The goal of the company was to build and operate a privately developed heavy lift orbital launch vehicle... |
BA-2 | medium rocket | 3 | GTO | cancelled | |
Canadian Arrow Canadian Arrow The Canadian Arrow is a privately funded rocket and space travel project founded by London, Ontario, Canada entrepreneurs Geoff Sheerin, Dan McKibbon and Chris Corke... |
Canadian Arrow | rocket | 2 | LEO | testing | |
DIRECT DIRECT DIRECT is a proposed alternative heavy lift launch vehicle architecture supporting NASA's Vision for Space Exploration, which would replace the space agency's planned Ares I and Ares V rockets... |
Leviathan-140 | rocket | 2 | GTO | development | |
Galaxy Express Galaxy Express Corporation was a Japanese company which intended to develop the GX rocket.GALEX was established on 27 March 2001. The Japanese government finally abandoned the GX program in December 2009.GALEX disbanded around March 2010.- Shareholders :... |
GX | medium rocket | 2 | SSO | cancelled | |
Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Corporation is an American aerospace company based in Mojave, California. It was founded in 1996 by Roderick and Randa Milliron, who also co-founded Trans Lunar Research.... |
Sea Star TSAAHTO | light rocket | 2½ | LEO | development | |
Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Corporation is an American aerospace company based in Mojave, California. It was founded in 1996 by Roderick and Randa Milliron, who also co-founded Trans Lunar Research.... |
Neptune 30 | light rocket | multi | LEO | proposed | |
Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Corporation is an American aerospace company based in Mojave, California. It was founded in 1996 by Roderick and Randa Milliron, who also co-founded Trans Lunar Research.... |
Neptune 1000 | medium rocket | multi | lunar orbit | proposed | |
Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Corporation is an American aerospace company based in Mojave, California. It was founded in 1996 by Roderick and Randa Milliron, who also co-founded Trans Lunar Research.... |
Neptune TSAAHTO | heavy rocket | 2½ | lunar orbit | proposed | |
Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area.... |
VentureStar VentureStar VentureStar was a proposed spaceplane design for a single-stage-to-orbit reusable launch system by Lockheed Martin. The program's primary goal as a United States federally funded program was to develop a reusable unmanned spaceplane for launching satellites into orbit at a fraction of the cost of... |
medium rocket | 1 | LEO | cancelled | |
Orbital Sciences Corp. Orbital Sciences Corporation Orbital Sciences Corporation is an American company which specializes in the manufacturing and launch of satellites. Its Launch Systems Group is heavily involved with missile defense launch systems... |
Taurus I | light rocket | 4 | LEO | operational (6/9) | |
Orbital Sciences Corp. Orbital Sciences Corporation Orbital Sciences Corporation is an American company which specializes in the manufacturing and launch of satellites. Its Launch Systems Group is heavily involved with missile defense launch systems... |
Taurus II Taurus II Taurus II is an expendable launch system being developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It is a two stage vehicle designed to launch payloads weighing up to into low-Earth orbit... |
medium rocket | 3 | LEO | development | First Launch planned for 2011 |
Orbital Transport & Raketen AG OTRAG OTRAG , was a German company based in Stuttgart, which planned in the late 1970s and early 1980s to develop an alternative propulsion system for rockets. OTRAG was the first commercial developer and producer of space launch vehicles... |
OTRAG | medium rocket | variable | LEO | retired | |
Rocket Lab Rocket Lab Rocket Lab Ltd. is a New Zealand firm that designs and fabricates sounding rockets and propulsion systems.The first launch of the Ātea-1 suborbital sounding rocket was scheduled for late 2009. The 6m long rocket weighing 60 kg is designed to carry a 2 kg payload to an altitude of... |
ATEA-1 | light rocket | 2 | suborbit | operational (1/1) | |
Scorpius Space Launch Company(Spin-off of Microcosm) Scorpius Space Launch Company Scorpius Space Launch Company is an American private space launch company that aims to provide space launch vehicles and provides components as well as mission engineering for space missions... |
SR-M | light rocket | 1 | suborbit | operational | |
Scorpius Space Launch Company(Spin-off of Microcosm) Scorpius Space Launch Company Scorpius Space Launch Company is an American private space launch company that aims to provide space launch vehicles and provides components as well as mission engineering for space missions... |
Sprite Scorpius Space Launch Company Scorpius Space Launch Company is an American private space launch company that aims to provide space launch vehicles and provides components as well as mission engineering for space missions... |
light rocket | - | - | testing | |
Scorpius Space Launch Company(Spin-off of Microcosm) Scorpius Space Launch Company Scorpius Space Launch Company is an American private space launch company that aims to provide space launch vehicles and provides components as well as mission engineering for space missions... |
Liberty Scorpius Space Launch Company Scorpius Space Launch Company is an American private space launch company that aims to provide space launch vehicles and provides components as well as mission engineering for space missions... |
light rocket | - | - | development | |
Scorpius Space Launch Company(Spin-off of Microcosm) Scorpius Space Launch Company Scorpius Space Launch Company is an American private space launch company that aims to provide space launch vehicles and provides components as well as mission engineering for space missions... |
Exodus Scorpius Space Launch Company Scorpius Space Launch Company is an American private space launch company that aims to provide space launch vehicles and provides components as well as mission engineering for space missions... |
medium rocket | - | - | development | |
Scorpius Space Launch Company(Spin-off of Microcosm) Scorpius Space Launch Company Scorpius Space Launch Company is an American private space launch company that aims to provide space launch vehicles and provides components as well as mission engineering for space missions... |
Space Freighter Scorpius Space Launch Company Scorpius Space Launch Company is an American private space launch company that aims to provide space launch vehicles and provides components as well as mission engineering for space missions... |
medium rocket | - | - | proposed | |
Space Services Inc. of America Space Services Inc. Space Services, Inc. of America is a space services company that provides star naming services as well as space memorial services through its subsidiary company, Celestis... |
Percheron | light rocket | 1 | suborbit | cancelled | |
Space Services Inc. of America Space Services Inc. Space Services, Inc. of America is a space services company that provides star naming services as well as space memorial services through its subsidiary company, Celestis... |
Conestoga 1620 Space Services Inc. Space Services, Inc. of America is a space services company that provides star naming services as well as space memorial services through its subsidiary company, Celestis... |
medium rocket | 4 | LEO | cancelled | |
Space Systems/Loral Space Systems/Loral Space Systems/Loral , of Palo Alto, California, is the wholly owned manufacturing subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications. It was acquired in 1990 for $715 million by Loral Corp. from Ford Motor Company as the Space Systems Division of Ford Aerospace... |
Aquarius Aquarius Launch Vehicle Space Systems/Loral's Aquarius Launch Vehicle is a low-cost launch vehicle designed to carry small, inexpensive payloads into LEO. The vehicle will be primarily intended to launch into orbit bulk products, like water, fuel, and other consumables, that are inexpensive to replace in the event of a... |
light rocket | 1 | LEO | development | |
Space Transport Corp. Space Transport Corporation Space Transport Corporation, or STC, was a company based in Forks, Washington whose goal is to commercialize space. The company was founded in 2002 by Eric Meier and Philip Storm. The company planned to provide small payload launch and space tourism services... |
Spartan | light rocket | 3 | suborbit | cancelled | |
SpaceX SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California... |
Falcon 1 Falcon 1 The Falcon 1 is a partially reusable launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX, a space transportation company in Hawthorne, California. The two-stage-to-orbit rocket uses LOX/RP-1 for both stages, the first powered by a single Merlin engine and the second powered by a single Kestrel engine... |
light rocket | 2 | LEO | operational (2/5) | |
SpaceX SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California... |
Falcon 1e Falcon 1e The Falcon 1e is an American small partially reusable launch system which is being developed by SpaceX. It will replace the Falcon 1, which was retired in 2009 following five launches, two of which were successful. The Falcon 1e consists of a new first stage, the same second stage used on the... |
light rocket | 2 | LEO | testing | |
SpaceX SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California... |
Falcon 5 Falcon 5 The Falcon 5 was a proposed two-stage-to-orbit partially reusable launch vehicle designed by SpaceX, since canceledand replaced by the larger, more powerful Falcon 9.-Overview:... |
medium rocket | 2 | GTO | cancelled | |
SpaceX SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California... |
Falcon 9 Falcon 9 Falcon 9 is a rocket-powered spaceflight launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of its two-stage-to-orbit vehicle use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants... |
medium rocket | 2 | GTO | operational (2/2) | |
SpaceX SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California... |
Falcon Heavy Falcon Heavy Falcon Heavy, previously known as the Falcon 9 Heavy, is a spaceflight launch system that uses rocket engines currently being designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of the two-stage-to-orbit vehicles use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants... |
heavy rocket | 2+boosters | lunar orbit | development | First Launch planned for 2012 |
Texas Spacelines Inc / TSI. | Sol Cazador | light rocket | 7 | HEO/lunar/escape | development |
Landers, rovers and probes
Company name | Craft name | Craft type | Craft status | Ref | |
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Armadillo Aerospace Armadillo Aerospace Armadillo Aerospace is an aerospace startup company based in Mesquite, Texas. Its initial goal is to build a manned suborbital spacecraft capable of space tourism, but it has stated long-term ambitions of orbital spaceflight. The company was founded by John Carmack.On October 24, 2008, Armadillo... |
unnamed craft | rocket module | testing | ||
BlastOff! Corporation BlastOff! Corporation Blastoff! Corporation was a small aerospace company in Pasadena, California that operated from 1999 to early 2001. Blastoff! was one of dozens of Idealab's incubator companies, created to capitalize on the public interest in space travel and exploration.... |
Lunar 1 | rover | cancelled | ||
Odyssey Moon Odyssey Moon On December 6, 2007, Odyssey Moon was the first team to register for the Google Lunar X Prize competition, an event that hopes to rekindle the efforts of humans to return to the moon. The competition is referred to as "Moon 2.0" and is composed of other private organizations like Odyssey Moon... |
MoonOne (M-1) | rover | development | ||
Astrobotic Technology Astrobotic Technology Astrobotic Technology is a privately held seed-stage company formed by Carnegie Mellon professor Red Whittaker and his associates, with the goal of winning the Google Lunar X Prize... |
Artemis Lander | lander | development | ||
Astrobotic Technology Astrobotic Technology Astrobotic Technology is a privately held seed-stage company formed by Carnegie Mellon professor Red Whittaker and his associates, with the goal of winning the Google Lunar X Prize... |
Red Rover | rover | development | ||
Team Italia | rover | development | |||
Micro Space | development | ||||
Next Giant Leap | development | ||||
Team FREDNET Team FREDNET Team FREDNET is an international Open Source and Open Participation competitor in the Google Lunar X PRIZE competition. Uniquely, the team also allows organizations and individuals to participate freely in its mission through the team's website... |
development | ||||
TransOrbital TransOrbital TransOrbital is a California-based company which became the first private company granted U.S. government permission to explore, photograph, and land on the moon. The company has been covered in over 2,000 news articles worldwide, and announced a sponsorship agreement with Hewlett-Packard in 2003... |
TrailBlazer | lunar orbiter | cancelled | ||
ARCASPACE ARCASPACE Asociația Română pentru Cosmonautică și Aeronautică or Romanian Cosmonautics and Aeronautics Association is a non-governmental organization that promotes aerospace projects as well as other space-related activities... |
ELE | lunar orbiter | development | ||
Lunatrex | development | ||||
Chandah | development | ||||
Advaeros | development | ||||
STELLAR Stellar Stellar is an adjective referring to one or more stars. It may also refer to:* Hyundai Stellar, a car built by Hyundai Motor Company* "Stellar*", a New Zealand-based rock band.* "Stellar" , a song by Incubus... |
development | ||||
JURBAN | development | ||||
Omega Envoy | development | ||||
Independence-X | development | ||||
SYNERGY MOON | development | ||||
Euroluna Euroluna The European Lunar Exploration Association is a Danish-Italian-Swiss team led by Palle Haastrup, which is participating in the Google Lunar X Prize Challenge.- The team :The members of the Euroluna team are:*Palle Haastrup*Søren Rasmussen... |
ROMIT | development | |||
Team Selene | LuRoCa 1 | rocket car | development | ||
SCSG | cancelled | ||||
Quantum3 | cancelled | ||||
Puli Space Technologies Puli Space Technologies Puli Space Technologies is a Hungarian company established by individuals in June 2010 in order to take part in Google Lunar X Prize Challenge and other competitions, and further to facilitate development of space industry in Hungary, to promote scientific thinking and encourage students to choose... |
Puli | rover | fundraising |
Research craft and tech demonstrators
Company name | Craft name | Craft purpose | Craft status | Ref |
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Armadillo Aerospace Armadillo Aerospace Armadillo Aerospace is an aerospace startup company based in Mesquite, Texas. Its initial goal is to build a manned suborbital spacecraft capable of space tourism, but it has stated long-term ambitions of orbital spaceflight. The company was founded by John Carmack.On October 24, 2008, Armadillo... |
Quad Quad (rocket) In rocketry, the Armadillo aerospace Quad vehicle is a computer controlled VTVL rocket that is used to compete in the Lunar Lander Challenge.-General description:... |
demonstrate VTOL | operational | |
Blue Origin Blue Origin Blue Origin is a privately funded aerospace company set up by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. The company was awarded $3.7 million in funding in 2009 by NASA via a Space Act Agreement under the Commercial Crew Development program for development of concepts and technologies to support future human... |
Goddard Blue Origin Goddard Blue Origin Goddard is the name of the first development vehicle in the Blue Origin New Shepard program, which flew for the first time on November 13, 2006. Named after rocketry pioneer Robert Goddard, the vehicle is a subscale demonstrator and flew at a 285 ft altitude during its initial flight... |
demonstrate VTOL | operational | |
Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Corporation is an American aerospace company based in Mojave, California. It was founded in 1996 by Roderick and Randa Milliron, who also co-founded Trans Lunar Research.... |
Neutrino | systems testing | operational | |
Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Interorbital Systems Corporation is an American aerospace company based in Mojave, California. It was founded in 1996 by Roderick and Randa Milliron, who also co-founded Trans Lunar Research.... |
Tachyon | systems testing | operational | |
Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area.... |
X-33 Lockheed Martin X-33 The Lockheed Martin X-33 was an unmanned, sub-scale technology demonstrator suborbital spaceplane developed in the 1990s under the U.S. government-funded Space Launch Initiative program. The X-33 was a technology demonstrator for the VentureStar orbital spaceplane, which was planned to be a... |
demonstrate SSTO | cancelled | |
Masten Space Systems Masten Space Systems Masten Space Systems is an aerospace startup company in Mojave, California that is developing a line of vertical takeoff, vertical landing spacecraft, initially for unmanned suborbital research flights and eventually intended to support unmanned orbital launches.- Overview :Masten Space Systems... |
XA-0.1 | demonstrate VTOL | retired | |
Masten Space Systems Masten Space Systems Masten Space Systems is an aerospace startup company in Mojave, California that is developing a line of vertical takeoff, vertical landing spacecraft, initially for unmanned suborbital research flights and eventually intended to support unmanned orbital launches.- Overview :Masten Space Systems... |
XA-0.1B | Lunar Lander Challenge Level 1 | operational | |
Masten Space Systems Masten Space Systems Masten Space Systems is an aerospace startup company in Mojave, California that is developing a line of vertical takeoff, vertical landing spacecraft, initially for unmanned suborbital research flights and eventually intended to support unmanned orbital launches.- Overview :Masten Space Systems... |
XA-0.1E | Lunar Lander Challenge Level 2, commercial precursor flights | operational | |
Masten Space Systems Masten Space Systems Masten Space Systems is an aerospace startup company in Mojave, California that is developing a line of vertical takeoff, vertical landing spacecraft, initially for unmanned suborbital research flights and eventually intended to support unmanned orbital launches.- Overview :Masten Space Systems... |
XA-0.1E2 | commercial flights | development | |
McDonnell Douglas McDonnell Douglas McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport... |
DC-X McDonnell Douglas DC-X The DC-X, short for Delta Clipper or Delta Clipper Experimental, was an unmanned prototype of a reusable single stage to orbit launch vehicle built by McDonnell Douglas in conjunction with the United States Department of Defense's Strategic Defense Initiative Organization from 1991 to 1993... |
demonstrate VTOL | retired (11 test flights) | |
Rotary Rocket Rotary Rocket Rotary Rocket, Inc, was a rocketry company headquartered in a facility at Mojave Airport that developed the Roton concept in the late 1990s as a fully reusable single-stage-to-orbit manned spacecraft. Roton was intended to reduce costs of launching payloads into low earth orbit by a factor of... |
Roton ATV | demonstrate VTOL | retired (3 test flights) | |
Space Services Inc. Space Services Inc. Space Services, Inc. of America is a space services company that provides star naming services as well as space memorial services through its subsidiary company, Celestis... |
Conestoga I Conestoga (rocket) The Conestoga was a rocket consisting originally of surplus Minuteman missile stages with additional strap-on boosters, as required, for larger payloads. It was the world's first privately-funded commercial rocket, but was used only three times before the program was shut down due to a lack of... |
systems testing | retired (1 test) | |
Swedish Space Corp. Swedish Space Corporation The Swedish Space Corporation is a comprehensive space company covering the entire field, from the definition of innovative business concepts and space projects to the development, tests and operation of the systems.... |
Maxus Maxus (rocket) Maxus is a sounding rocket that are used in the MAXUS microgravity rocket programme, a joint venture between Swedish Space Corporation and EADS Astrium Space Transportation used by ESA... |
payload to 700 km | operational | |
Swedish Space Corp. Swedish Space Corporation The Swedish Space Corporation is a comprehensive space company covering the entire field, from the definition of innovative business concepts and space projects to the development, tests and operation of the systems.... |
Maser Maser (rocket) Maser is a sounding rocket that is used in the MASER microgravity research rocket programme, which is operated by the Swedish Space Corporation . The main customer is the European Space Agency , and in particular its EMIR and ELIPS programmes.... |
payload to 300 km | operational | |
UP Aerospace UP Aerospace UP Aerospace, Inc. is a private spaceflight corporation based out of Denver, Colorado. UP Aerospace provides ultra-low cost space access and payload transportation for corporate, military and educational payloads, via their SpaceLoft XL Sounding rocket launch vehicles.- History and Future Plans... |
SpaceLoft XL SpaceLoft XL The SpaceLoft XL is a sounding rocket developed by UP Aerospace. The rocket has a diameter of 10 inches , and is 20 feet long. It is capable of lofting a 110 lb payload to a sub-orbital trajectory with an apogee of 140 miles... |
payload to 140 km | operational |
Space mining
Company name | Body to be mined | Mining craft | Mining status | Ref |
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Shackleton Energy Company Shackleton Energy Company Shackleton Energy Company was formed in 2007 in Del Valle, Texas with the explicit goal to prepare the equipment and technologies necessary for mining the Moon. Shackleton is a subsidiary of Stone Aerospace.-Approach:... |
Moon Moon The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more... |
Unknown | Unknown | |
Moon Express Moon Express Moon Express, or MoonEx, is a privately held seed-stage company formed by a group of Silicon Valley and space entrepreneurs, with the goal of winning the Google Lunar X Prize, and ultimately mining the Moon for resources of economic value.-History:... |
Moon Moon The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more... |
Unknown | Unknown |
Propulsion manufacturers
Company name | Engine | Engine type | Applications | Ref |
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Ad Astra Rocket Company Ad Astra Rocket Company The Ad Astra Rocket Company is a rocket propulsion company dedicated to the development of advanced plasma rocket propulsion technology. Located in Webster, Texas, several miles from NASA's Johnson Space Center, the company was incorporated on January 14, 2005. The President and CEO of Ad Astra... |
VASIMR | magnetoplasma | may be used for future Mars missions Exploration of Mars The exploration of Mars has been an important part of the space exploration programs of the Soviet Union, the United States, Europe, and Japan. Dozens of robotic spacecraft, including orbiters, landers, and rovers, have been launched toward Mars since the 1960s... |
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AE Aerospace | HIRE | hybrid ion rocket | ||
AE Aerospace | Scearamjet | Electric Scramjet Scramjet A scramjet is a variant of a ramjet airbreathing jet engine in which combustion takes place in supersonic airflow... |
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American Rocket Company American Rocket Company Founded in 1985 by George Koopman, Bevin McKinney and Jim Bennett, veterans of Starstruck , the American Rocket Company, or AMROC, was a company that developed hybrid rocket motors.... |
hybrid rocket Hybrid rocket A hybrid rocket is a rocket with a rocket motor which uses propellants in two different states of matter - one solid and the other either gas or liquid. The Hybrid rocket concept can be traced back at least 75 years.... |
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The Elwing Company | Electrodeless Plasma Thruster Electrodeless plasma thruster The electrodeless plasma thruster is a spacecraft propulsion engine. It was created by Mr. Gregory Emsellem based on technology developed by French Atomic Energy Commission scientist Dr Richard Geller and Dr... |
Electric Propulsion | may be used for future explorations missions Exploration of Mars The exploration of Mars has been an important part of the space exploration programs of the Soviet Union, the United States, Europe, and Japan. Dozens of robotic spacecraft, including orbiters, landers, and rovers, have been launched toward Mars since the 1960s... |
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Firestar Technologies | ||||
Reaction Engines Ltd. Reaction Engines Limited Reaction Engines Limited is a British aerospace company based in Oxfordshire, England.- History & personnel :Reaction Engines was founded in 1989 by Alan Bond and Richard Varvill and John Scott-Scott... |
SABRE | precooled air-breathing rocket | planned to be used in Skylon | |
SpaceDev SpaceDev SpaceDev, a part of the "Space Systems Business" of Sierra Nevada Corporation, is prominent for its spaceflight and microsatellite work. It designed and built the hybrid rocket motors for Paul Allen's Tier One suborbital SpaceShipOne space program operated by Scaled Composites... |
hybrid rocket Hybrid rocket A hybrid rocket is a rocket with a rocket motor which uses propellants in two different states of matter - one solid and the other either gas or liquid. The Hybrid rocket concept can be traced back at least 75 years.... |
SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo | ||
SpaceX SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California... |
Kestrel (rocket engine) Kestrel (rocket engine) The Kestrel engine is an LOX/RP-1 pressure-fed rocket engine. The Kestrel engine was developed by SpaceX for upper stage use on the Falcon 1 rocket.... |
Liquid Oxygen Liquid oxygen Liquid oxygen — abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries — is one of the physical forms of elemental oxygen.-Physical properties:... /RP-1 RP-1 RP-1 is a highly refined form of kerosene outwardly similar to jet fuel, used as a rocket fuel. Although having a lower specific impulse than liquid hydrogen , RP-1 is cheaper, can be stored at room temperature, is far less of an explosive hazard and is far denser... |
Falcon 1 Falcon 1 The Falcon 1 is a partially reusable launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX, a space transportation company in Hawthorne, California. The two-stage-to-orbit rocket uses LOX/RP-1 for both stages, the first powered by a single Merlin engine and the second powered by a single Kestrel engine... second stage |
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SpaceX SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California... |
Merlin (rocket engine) Merlin (rocket engine) Merlin is a rocket engine developed by SpaceX for use on its Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 rockets. Merlin uses RP-1 and liquid oxygen as propellants in a gas-generator power cycle... |
Liquid Oxygen Liquid oxygen Liquid oxygen — abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries — is one of the physical forms of elemental oxygen.-Physical properties:... /RP-1 RP-1 RP-1 is a highly refined form of kerosene outwardly similar to jet fuel, used as a rocket fuel. Although having a lower specific impulse than liquid hydrogen , RP-1 is cheaper, can be stored at room temperature, is far less of an explosive hazard and is far denser... |
Falcon 1 Falcon 1 The Falcon 1 is a partially reusable launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX, a space transportation company in Hawthorne, California. The two-stage-to-orbit rocket uses LOX/RP-1 for both stages, the first powered by a single Merlin engine and the second powered by a single Kestrel engine... , Falcon 9 Falcon 9 Falcon 9 is a rocket-powered spaceflight launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of its two-stage-to-orbit vehicle use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants... , Falcon 9 Heavy first stage |
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SpaceX SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California... |
Merlin Vacuum | Liquid Oxygen Liquid oxygen Liquid oxygen — abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries — is one of the physical forms of elemental oxygen.-Physical properties:... /RP-1 RP-1 RP-1 is a highly refined form of kerosene outwardly similar to jet fuel, used as a rocket fuel. Although having a lower specific impulse than liquid hydrogen , RP-1 is cheaper, can be stored at room temperature, is far less of an explosive hazard and is far denser... |
Falcon 9 Falcon 9 Falcon 9 is a rocket-powered spaceflight launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of its two-stage-to-orbit vehicle use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants... , Falcon 9 Heavy second stage |
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SpaceX SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California... |
Raptor (rocket stage) Raptor (rocket stage) ,Raptor is a rocket engine design concept by SpaceX for a higher performance upper stage for the Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The engine would be powered by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen,... |
Liquid Oxygen Liquid oxygen Liquid oxygen — abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries — is one of the physical forms of elemental oxygen.-Physical properties:... /Liquid Hydrogen Liquid hydrogen Liquid hydrogen is the liquid state of the element hydrogen. Hydrogen is found naturally in the molecular H2 form.To exist as a liquid, H2 must be pressurized above and cooled below hydrogen's Critical point. However, for hydrogen to be in a full liquid state without boiling off, it needs to be... |
Falcon 1 Falcon 1 The Falcon 1 is a partially reusable launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX, a space transportation company in Hawthorne, California. The two-stage-to-orbit rocket uses LOX/RP-1 for both stages, the first powered by a single Merlin engine and the second powered by a single Kestrel engine... , Falcon 9 Falcon 9 Falcon 9 is a rocket-powered spaceflight launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of its two-stage-to-orbit vehicle use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants... , Falcon 9 Heavy upper stage |
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Satellite launchers
- ArianespaceArianespaceArianespace SA is a French company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial space transportation company. It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane 5 rocket launcher as part of the Ariane programme....
- Ariane, Vega - Eurockot Launch ServicesEurockot Launch ServicesEurockot Launch Services GmbH is a commercial spacecraft launch provider and was founded in 1995. Eurockot uses an expendable launch vehicle called the Rockot to place satellites into Low-Earth orbit . Eurockot is jointly owned by EADS Astrium, which holds 51 percent, and by Khrunichev State...
- Rockot - International Launch ServicesInternational Launch ServicesInternational Launch Services is a U.S.-Russian joint venture with exclusive rights to the worldwide sale of commercial Proton rocket launch services from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.- Ownership :...
- Proton - ISC KosmotrasISC KosmotrasThe International Space Company Kosmotras or ISC Kosmotras is a joint project, between Russia, Ukraine, and the Kazakhstan, established in 1997. It developed and now operates a commercial expendable launch system using the Dnepr rocket. The Dnepr is a converted Soviet era SS-18 ICBM decommissioned...
- Dnepr - Orbital Sciences CorporationOrbital Sciences CorporationOrbital Sciences Corporation is an American company which specializes in the manufacturing and launch of satellites. Its Launch Systems Group is heavily involved with missile defense launch systems...
- own launchers - SpaceXSpaceXSpace Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California...
- own launchers - Sea LaunchSea LaunchSea Launch is a spacecraft launch service that uses a mobile sea platform for equatorial launches of commercial payloads on specialized Zenit 3SL rockets...
(and subsidiary Land LaunchLand LaunchLand Launch, a subsidiary of Sea Launch, conducts commercial launches of Zenit rockets from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 45. It operates two-stage Zenit-2SLB and three stage Zenit-3SLB rockets....
) - Zenit - StarsemStarsemStarsem is a European-Russian company that was created in 1996 to commercialise the Soyuz launcher. Starsem is headquartered in Évry, France and has the following shareholders:* Russian Federal Space Agency...
- Soyuz
Spaceliner companies
Company name | Contracts for | Craft utilised | Status |
---|---|---|---|
Benson Space Company | SpaceDev SpaceDev SpaceDev, a part of the "Space Systems Business" of Sierra Nevada Corporation, is prominent for its spaceflight and microsatellite work. It designed and built the hybrid rocket motors for Paul Allen's Tier One suborbital SpaceShipOne space program operated by Scaled Composites... |
Dream Chaser SpaceDev Dream Chaser The Dream Chaser is a crewed suborbital and orbital vertical-takeoff, horizontal-landing lifting-body spaceplane being developed by SpaceDev, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sierra Nevada Corporation . The Dream Chaser design is planned to carry seven people to and from low earth orbit... |
waiting for hardware |
MirCorp MirCorp MirCorp was a commercial space company created in 1999 by space entrepreneurs and involving the Russian space program that successfully undertook a number of firsts in the business of space exploration by using the aging Russian space station Mir as a commercial platform... |
none | Soyuz TM Soyuz TM-30 Soyuz TM-30 , also known as Mir EO-28, was a Soyuz mission, the 39th and final human spaceflight to the Mir space station. The crew of the mission was sent by MirCorp, a privately funded company, to reactivate and repair the station... , Progress M1 Progress M1-2 Progress M1-2 was a Progress spacecraft which was launched by Russia in 2000 to resupply the Mir space station. It was a Progress-M1 11F615A55 spacecraft, with the serial number 252.... and Mir Mir Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, at first by the Soviet Union and then by Russia. Assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996, Mir was the first modular space station and had a greater mass than that of any previous spacecraft, holding the record for the... |
defunct, Mir deorbited |
Space Adventures Space Adventures Space Adventures, Ltd. is a Virginia, USA-based space tourism company founded in 1998 by Eric C. Anderson. , offerings include zero-gravity atmospheric flights, orbital spaceflights , and other spaceflight-related experiences including cosmonaut training, spacewalk training, and launch tours... |
none | Soyuz and the ISS International Space Station The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes... |
active (6 tourists sent) |
RocketShip Tours RocketShip Tours RocketShip Tours is an American space tourism company founded by travel industry entrepreneur Jules Klar which plans to provide sub-orbital human spaceflights to the paying public, in partnership with rocketplane developer XCOR Aerospace... |
XCOR | Lynx rocketplane Lynx rocketplane The Lynx rocketplane is a suborbital horizontal-takeoff, horizontal-landing ,rocket-powered spaceplane being developed by the California-based company XCOR to compete in the emerging suborbital space flight market. The Lynx is projected to carry one pilot, a ticketed passenger, and/or a payload or... |
waiting for hardware |
Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic is a company within Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites... |
Scaled Composites Scaled Composites Scaled Composites is an aerospace company founded by Burt Rutan and currently owned by Northrop Grumman that is located at the Mojave Spaceport, Mojave, California, United States... |
SpaceShipTwo Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo The Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo is a suborbital, air-launched spaceplane, designed for space tourism. It is under development by The Spaceship Company, a California-based joint venture between Scaled Composites and the Virgin Group, as part of the Tier 1b program.SpaceShipTwo is... |
waiting for hardware |
Spacecraft component manufacturers
- Andrews SpaceAndrews SpaceAndrews Space is a small aerospace company based in Seattle, Washington, founded in 1999 to develop space systems. Andrews provides aerospace services for commercial, civil, and military clients.-Current projects:...
- EADS Astrium Satellites
- EADS Astrium Space Transportation
- Rocketstar Robotics, Inc.
- Thortek Laboratories, Inc.
- StarsysSTARSYSStarsys as a term could refer to the following:*Convergent Technologies Operating System*Starsys Company - Merging with SpaceDev...
(merged with SpaceDev) - SpaceDevSpaceDevSpaceDev, a part of the "Space Systems Business" of Sierra Nevada Corporation, is prominent for its spaceflight and microsatellite work. It designed and built the hybrid rocket motors for Paul Allen's Tier One suborbital SpaceShipOne space program operated by Scaled Composites...
- SpaceQuest, Ltd.SpaceQuest, Ltd.SpaceQuest, Ltd. is a spacecraft components and engineering company located in Fairfax, Virginia, which focuses on the operations of small satellites....
- Talis Enterprises, Ltd.
See also
- List of government space agencies
- List of spacecraft manufacturers including the "traditional space" companies