List of private spaceflight companies

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.

List of abbreviations used in this article

LEO: Low Earth orbit
GTO: Geostationary transfer orbit
VTOL: Vertical take-off and landing
SSTO: Single-stage-to-orbit
TSTO: Two-stage-to-orbit
SSTSO: Single-stage-to-sub-orbit

Contents

Manufacturers of space vehicles

Crew and cargo transport vehicles

See also: Ansari X Prize#Contestants
See also: List of manned spacecraft#Commercial
Company name Craft name Craft type Launcher
name		 Launcher
type		 Maximum
reach		 Passenger
capacity		 Craft status Notes
ARCA Stabilo capsule Solar Montgolfier balloon sub-orbit 1 testing [1]
ARCA Orizont spaceplane Solar Montgolfier balloon sub-orbit 2 development [2]
Armadillo Aerospace Black Armadillo rocket self-powered self-powered sub-orbit 1-3 testing [3]
Bigelow Aerospace and Boeing CST-100 capsule Atlas V[4] rocket LEO 7 testing First use is planned for 2015[5]
Bigelow Aerospace and Lockheed Martin Orion Lite capsule Falcon 9 rocket LEO 6-7 cancelled [6]
Blue Origin New Shepard rocket self-powered (SSTSO) self-powered (SSTSO) sub-orbit 3 testing [7]
Copenhagen Suborbitals Tycho Brahe rocket self-powered self-powered sub-orbit 1 testing [8]
EADS Astrium unnamed craft spaceplane self-powered (SSTSO) self-powered (SSTSO) sub-orbit 4 development [9]
Excalibur Almaz TKS derivative capsule multiple rocket LEO 3 development [10][11]
da Vinci Project Wild Fire capsule - balloon sub-orbit 3 cancelled [12]
Interorbital Systems Solaris X capsule self-powered (SSTSO) self-powered (SSTSO) sub-orbit 6 cancelled [13]
Interorbital Systems Crew Module capsule Neptune TSAAHTO rocket lunar orbit 6 development [14]
Japanese Rocket Society Kankoh-maru rocket self-powered (SSTO) self-powered (SSTO) LEO 50 proposed Sponsers needed[15]
Orbital Sciences Corp. Cygnus capsule Antares rocket LEO - development First use planned for 2012
Orbital Sciences Corp. Prometheus spaceplane Atlas V rocket LEO 4 development Developement winding down following failure to receive CCDev funds[16]
PlanetSpace Canadian Arrow rocket self-powered self-powered sub-orbit 3 testing [1]
PlanetSpace Silver Dart spaceplane Canadian Arrow rocket LEO 8 development [17]
Reaction Engines Ltd. HOTOL spaceplane self-powered (SSTO) self-powered (SSTO) LEO - cancelled [18]
Reaction Engines Ltd. HOTOL 2 spaceplane An 225 airplane LEO - proposed [19]
Reaction Engines Ltd. Skylon spaceplane self-powered (SSTO) self-powered (SSTO) LEO 5-20 development [19]
Rocketplane Kistler K-1 rocket self-powered (TSTO) self-powered (TSTO) LEO - cancelled [20]
Rocketplane Kistler Rocketplane XP spaceplane self-powered (SSTSO) self-powered (SSTSO) sub-orbit 6 cancelled [21]
Rotary Rocket Roton rocket self-powered (SSTO) self-powered (SSTO) LEO 2 cancelled [22]
Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic
(The Spaceship Company)		 SpaceShipOne spaceplane WhiteKnightOne airplane sub-orbit 2 retired (3/3) [23]
Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic
(The Spaceship Company)		 SpaceShipTwo spaceplane WhiteKnightTwo airplane sub-orbit 8 testing [24]
Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic
(The Spaceship Company)		 SpaceShipThree spaceplane WhiteKnightTwo airplane LEO (or suborbital passenger-delivery)  ? proposed [25]
Space Adventures and Myasishchev Design Bureau Explorer (Cosmopolis XXI, C-21) spaceplane M-55X airplane sub-orbit 5 development [26]
Space Transport Corp. Rubicon I rocket self-powered (SSTSO) self-powered (SSTSO) sub-orbit 3 cancelled [27]
SpaceDev Dream Chaser spaceplane Atlas V rocket LEO 7 development [28]
SpaceX Dragon capsule Falcon 9 rocket LEO 7 operational (1/1) 1 spacecraft has been launched into orbit and returned to earth[29]
Starchaser Industries NOVA capsule Starchaser 4 rocket sub-orbit - testing [30]
Starchaser Industries Thunderstar capsule Starchaser 5 rocket sub-orbit 3 development [31]
Starchaser Industries Thunderbird capsule Starchaser 5 rocket sub-orbit 6 development [31]
Truax Engineering, Inc. X-3 Volksrocket capsule Private Enterprise rocket sub-orbit 1 cancelled
t/Space CXV capsule QuickReach rocket LEO and lunar orbit 6 development [32]
Venturer Aerospace S-550 capsule Falcon 9 rocket LEO 6 cancelled [33]
XCOR Xerus spaceplane self-powered (SSTSO) self-powered (SSTSO) sub-orbit 2 cancelled [34]
XCOR and RocketShip Tours Lynx spaceplane self-powered (SSTSO) self-powered (SSTSO) sub-orbit 1 development [35]

Space stations

Private Company name Space Craft name Space Craft type Internal
volume		 Passenger
capacity		 Craft status Ref
Bigelow Aerospace Genesis I Inflatable module 11.5 m3 (406 cu ft) [36] unmanned currently in LEO [37]
Bigelow Aerospace Genesis II Inflatable module 11.5 m3 (406 cu ft) [38] unmanned currently in LEO [39]
Bigelow Aerospace Galaxy Inflatable module 16.7 m3 (590 cu ft) [40] unmanned cancelled [41]
Bigelow Aerospace Sundancer Inflatable module 180 m3 (6,357 cu ft) 3 cancelled [42]
Bigelow Aerospace BA 330 Inflatable module 330 m3 (11,654 cu ft) 6 development [43]
Bigelow Aerospace BA 2100 Inflatable module 2,100 m3 (74,161 cu ft) 16 proposed
Excalibur Almaz Almaz derivative Rigid module  ? 3 development [10][11]
Galactic Suite Ltd. Galactic Suite Rigid module  ? 6 proposed [44]
Orbital Technologies/RSC Energia Orbital Technologies Commercial Space Station Rigid Module The first module CSS will be volume about 20 m³. 7 development [45]

Launch vehicles

Further information: List of orbital launch systems
Company name Launcher
name		 Launcher
type		 No. of
stages		 Maximum
reach		 Launcher
status		 Ref
AirLaunch LLC QuickReach rocket 2 LEO development [46]
ARCASPACE HAAS light rocket 3 LEO development [47]
Armadillo Aerospace OTRAG derivative medium rocket variable LEO cancelled
Beal Aerospace BA-1 light rocket - LEO cancelled
Beal Aerospace BA-2 medium rocket 3 GTO cancelled [48]
Canadian Arrow Canadian Arrow rocket 2 LEO testing
DIRECT Leviathan-140 rocket 2 GTO development [49]
Galaxy Express GX medium rocket 2 SSO cancelled [50]
Interorbital Systems Sea Star TSAAHTO light rocket 2½ LEO development [51]
Interorbital Systems Neptune 30 light rocket multi LEO proposed [14]
Interorbital Systems Neptune 1000 medium rocket multi lunar orbit proposed [14]
Interorbital Systems Neptune TSAAHTO heavy rocket 2½ lunar orbit proposed [14]
Lockheed Martin VentureStar medium rocket 1 LEO cancelled [52]
Orbital Sciences Corp. Taurus I light rocket 4 LEO operational (6/9) [53]
Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares medium rocket 3 LEO development First Launch planned for 2012
Orbital Transport & Raketen AG OTRAG medium rocket variable LEO retired
Rocket Lab ATEA-1 light rocket 2 suborbit operational (1/1) [54][55]
Scorpius Space Launch Company
(Spin-off of Microcosm)		 SR-M light rocket 1 suborbit operational [56]
Scorpius Space Launch Company
(Spin-off of Microcosm)		 Sprite light rocket - - testing [56]
Scorpius Space Launch Company
(Spin-off of Microcosm)		 Liberty light rocket - - development [56]
Scorpius Space Launch Company
(Spin-off of Microcosm)		 Exodus medium rocket - - development [56]
Scorpius Space Launch Company
(Spin-off of Microcosm)		 Space Freighter medium rocket - - proposed [56]
Space Services Inc. of America Percheron light rocket 1 suborbit cancelled [57]
Space Services Inc. of America Conestoga 1620 medium rocket 4 LEO cancelled [57]
Space Systems/Loral Aquarius light rocket 1 LEO development
Space Transport Corp. Spartan light rocket 3 suborbit cancelled
SpaceX Falcon 1 light rocket 2 LEO operational (2/5) [58]
SpaceX Falcon 1e light rocket 2 LEO testing [59]
SpaceX Falcon 5 medium rocket 2 GTO cancelled [60]
SpaceX Falcon 9 medium rocket 2 GTO operational (2/2) [61]
SpaceX Falcon Heavy heavy rocket 2+boosters lunar orbit development First Launch planned for 2012[61]
Texas Spacelines Inc / TSI. Sol Cazador light rocket 7 HEO/lunar/escape development [62]

Landers, rovers and probes

Further information: Google Lunar X Prize#Competitors
Company name Craft name Craft type Craft status Ref
Armadillo Aerospace unnamed craft rocket module testing [3]
BlastOff! Corporation Lunar 1 rover cancelled [63]
Odyssey Moon MoonOne (M-1) rover development [64]
Astrobotic Technology Artemis Lander lander development [65]
Astrobotic Technology Red Rover rover development [66]
Team Italia rover development [67]
Micro Space development [68]
Next Giant Leap development [69]
Team FREDNET development [70]
TransOrbital TrailBlazer lunar orbiter cancelled [71]
ARCASPACE ELE lunar orbiter development [72]
Lunatrex development [73]
Chandah development [74]
Advaeros development [75]
STELLAR development [76]
JURBAN development [77]
Omega Envoy development [78]
Independence-X development [79]
SYNERGY MOON development [80]
Euroluna ROMIT development [81]
Team Selene LuRoCa 1 rocket car development [82]
SCSG cancelled [83]
Quantum3 cancelled [84]
Puli Space Technologies Puli rover fundraising [85]

Research craft and tech demonstrators

Further information: List of sounding rockets
Company name Craft name Craft purpose Craft status Ref
Armadillo Aerospace Quad demonstrate VTOL operational
Blue Origin Goddard demonstrate VTOL operational
Interorbital Systems Neutrino systems testing operational
Interorbital Systems Tachyon systems testing operational [86]
Lockheed Martin X-33 demonstrate SSTO cancelled
Masten Space Systems XA-0.1 demonstrate VTOL retired
Masten Space Systems XA-0.1B Lunar Lander Challenge Level 1 operational
Masten Space Systems XA-0.1E Lunar Lander Challenge Level 2, commercial precursor flights operational
Masten Space Systems XA-0.1E2 commercial flights development
McDonnell Douglas DC-X demonstrate VTOL retired (11 test flights)
Rotary Rocket Roton ATV demonstrate VTOL retired (3 test flights)
Space Services Inc. Conestoga I systems testing retired (1 test) [57]
Swedish Space Corp. Maxus payload to 700 km operational
Swedish Space Corp. Maser payload to 300 km operational
UP Aerospace SpaceLoft XL payload to 140 km operational [87]

Space mining

Company name Body to be mined Mining craft Mining status Ref
Shackleton Energy Company Moon Unknown Unknown
Moon Express Moon Unknown Unknown

Propulsion manufacturers

Company name Engine Engine type Applications Ref
Ad Astra Rocket Company VASIMR magnetoplasma may be used for future Mars missions
AE Aerospace HIRE[88][89] hybrid ion rocket
AE Aerospace Scearamjet[90] Electric Scramjet
American Rocket Company hybrid rocket
The Elwing Company Electrodeless Plasma Thruster Electric Propulsion may be used for future explorations missions [91]
Firestar Technologies[92]
Reaction Engines Ltd. SABRE precooled air-breathing rocket planned to be used in Skylon [93]
SpaceDev hybrid rocket SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo
SpaceX Kestrel (rocket engine) Liquid Oxygen/RP-1 Falcon 1 second stage
SpaceX Merlin (rocket engine) Liquid Oxygen/RP-1 Falcon 1,[94] Falcon 9,[95] Falcon 9 Heavy first stage
SpaceX Merlin Vacuum Liquid Oxygen/RP-1 Falcon 9, Falcon 9 Heavy second stage
SpaceX Raptor (rocket stage) Liquid Oxygen/Liquid Hydrogen As of July 2009, some preliminary concept work was being done.[96]

Satellite launchers

Spaceliner companies

Company name Contracts for Craft utilised Status
Benson Space Company SpaceDev Dream Chaser waiting for hardware
MirCorp none Soyuz TM, Progress M1 and Mir defunct, Mir deorbited
Space Adventures none Soyuz and the ISS active (6 tourists sent)
RocketShip Tours XCOR Lynx rocketplane waiting for hardware
Virgin Galactic Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo waiting for hardware

Spacecraft component manufacturers

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Stabilo Specifications ARCA
  2. ^ Orizont Specifications ARCA
  3. ^ a b Armadillo Aerospace Armadillo Aerospace
  4. ^ "Boeing Selects Atlas V Rocket for Initial Commercial Crew Launches". 2011-08-04. http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1869. Retrieved 2011=10=29. 
  5. ^ http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1323
  6. ^ Klamper, Amy (2009-08-14). "Company pitches 'lite' spaceship to NASA : Stripped down version of NASA's future spaceship could be ready 2013". Msnbc.com. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32418057/ns/technology_and_science-space/. Retrieved 2009-09-07. 
  7. ^ Blue's Rocket Clues (MSNBC's Cosmic Log, June 24, 2006)
  8. ^ Copenhagen Suborbitals Copenhagen Suborbitals
  9. ^ Spaceplane – Rocketing into the future EADS-Astrium
  10. ^ a b http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0908/18almaz/
  11. ^ a b http://www.onorbit.com/node/1395
  12. ^ Second team goes for space prize BBC News
  13. ^ Space racers set sights on orbital frontier MSNBC
  14. ^ a b c d Interorbital Systems Neptune Interorbital Systems
  15. ^ 準軌道宇宙旅行 宇宙丸プロジェクト Kankoh-maru
  16. ^ http://www.newspacejournal.com/2011/04/22/orbital-may-wind-down-its-commercial-crew-effort
  17. ^ Space tourism company still aiming for space station New Scientist
  18. ^ http://www.flightglobal.com/AIRSPACE/photos/missilespacesystemscutaways/bae-hotol-cutaway-10296.aspx
  19. ^ a b http://www.reactionengines.co.uk/skylon_overview.html
  20. ^ http://www.space.com/news/070910_nasa_rocketplane_notice.html
  21. ^ Rocketplane XP spec and description Rocketplane.com
  22. ^ Roton Encyclopedia Astronautica
  23. ^ SpaceShipOne Makes Historiy With First Private Spaceflight Space.com
  24. ^ Virgin Galactic in Space Ship Three talks New York Times
  25. ^ Entrepreneur Unveils New Tourist Spacecraft Your Industry News
  26. ^ New group to Develop Passenger Spacecraft MSNBC
  27. ^ http://www.seattlepi.com/local/200644_forks22.html
  28. ^ SpaceDev Completes Second Milestone Under NASA Space Act Agreement Marketwire
  29. ^ http://www.spacex.com/dragon.php
  30. ^ NOVA Armadillo Aerospace NOVA
  31. ^ a b Industries Starchaser Industries
  32. ^ http://www.nasa.gov/missions/solarsystem/vision_concepts.html
  33. ^ http://www.venturerspace.com/announcement.html
  34. ^ XCOR Aerospace Unveils Rocket-Powered Lynx Vehicle Design FlightGlobal
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  36. ^ http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/genesis_I/?Genesis_I_General_Specs
  37. ^ http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/genesis_I/
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  43. ^ The Five-Billion-Star Hotel, 1 Mar 2005
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  46. ^ New Satellite Lift Tech Studied National Space Symposium 31-MAR-2009
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  48. ^ Man With a Mission D Magazine
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  51. ^ Interorbital Systems Sea Star Interorbital Systems
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  53. ^ http://www.orbital.com/SpaceLaunch/Taurus/
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  55. ^ http://www.rocketlab.co.nz/atea-1.html/
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  62. ^ [1]
  63. ^ Blast Off The unauthroized top-secret website of Peter H. Diamandis
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  75. ^ http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/lunar/teams/advaeros/about
  76. ^ http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/lunar/teams/stellar/about
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  81. ^ http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/lunar/teams/euroluna/about
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  86. ^ Advantages of using White Fuming Nitric Acid (WFNA) as an oXidizer in rockets [lunarlander.spaceracenews.com]
  87. ^ Private rocket launches ashes of Star Trek's Scotty, astronaut to suborbital space [www.space.com]
  88. ^ HIRE 2009
  89. ^ Hybrid Ion Rocket Engine/AE Aerospace owner Andrew Edwards 2010
  90. ^ Scearamjet 2009
  91. ^ [3] 2010
  92. ^ Firestar
  93. ^ "The SABRE Engine". http://www.reactionengines.co.uk/sabre.html. Retrieved 2010-08-10. 
  94. ^ Clark, Stephen (2008-09-28). "Sweet success at last for Falcon 1 rocket". Spaceflight Now. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon/004/. Retrieved 2011-01-27. 
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  96. ^ "Long term SpaceX vehicle plans". HobbySpace.com. http://www.hobbyspace.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=13632. Retrieved 2009-07-13. 
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