Top 10 Key Figures in the Private Space Exploration Industry

Nowadays, both nations and companies, large and small, are competing to secure their spot in the suborbital race, and many experts believe this is a positive development. Commercial rockets and space stations are making orbital access more accessible to countries, businesses, and even private individuals. With enough financial backing, they can bypass the risks of launching their own space program and, for a relatively small fee, catch a ride on a parabolic shuttle, reserve a spot on a space station, or find space for a satellite, experiment, or equipment.

NASA, for its part, is using its resources to accelerate progress. One key initiative, its commercial crew program, which backs space endeavors by Boeing, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), and Sierra Nevada Corp., continues to achieve significant milestones. As the next phase, known as Commercial Crew Transportation Capability, or CCtCap, approaches, NASA issued a draft request for proposals in the summer of 2013 [sources: Chang; NASA].

For the new space race, this decade might unfold much like the late 1990s and early 2000s did for the Internet: marked by uncertainty, a surge of creativity, and, in the end, the harsh reality of economic forces. A multitude of companies are competing, and we've ranked our top contenders based on pedigree, track record, and sheer excellence in the field.

10: The X Prize and Other Honors

At times, sparking excellence and innovation involves setting a bold, ambitious goal and backing it up with a substantial financial reward. Consider the nonprofit X Prize Foundation's Ansari X Prize for affordable space travel. By offering a $10 million prize, it helped generate over $100 million in commercial space advancements [source: X Prize Foundation].

Aerospace engineer Burt Rutan, alongside his financier, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, claimed the Ansari X Prize in 2004 for creating the first private team to "design and launch a spacecraft capable of carrying three individuals to 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface, twice within two weeks" [source: X Prize Foundation]. Rutan later assisted Virgin Galactic in developing its space tourism vehicle.

Other notable awards spurring progress in the emerging space industry include NASA's Centennial Challenges, offering $200,000 to $2 million for innovations aligned with the agency’s interests, and the Heinlein Prize, which honors the legacy of the sci-fi writer and rewards advancements in commercial space endeavors.

Meanwhile, the X Prize Foundation continues to drive space innovation. The Google Lunar X Prize offers $30 million to "the first privately funded teams to safely land a robot on the Moon’s surface, have it travel 500 meters, and transmit images and data back to Earth." NASA has added another $30 million in contract funds for lunar robots that meet critical objectives [source: X Prize Foundation].

Of course, inflation is always a factor. Just ask the next private space company on our list.

9: Bigelow Aerospace

As the pioneers of the new space age work on creating affordable spacecraft, Robert T. Bigelow envisions a new kind of space station: an inflatable, privately owned and operated structure for astronauts to relax in between missions.

By utilizing lightweight inflatables, Bigelow's designs sidestep the limited cargo capacity of rockets, presenting a robust habitat in a compact form. The idea, inspired by NASA’s TransHab, is a versatile inflatable habitat intended for use on places like Mars or the moon.

In January 2013, NASA entered into a $17.8 million contract with Bigelow Aerospace to deliver a Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) to the International Space Station (ISS). This module, measuring 13 feet in length and 10 feet in diameter (4 meters by 3 meters), boasts 560 cubic feet (16 cubic meters) of interior space. When transported, it condenses to about one-tenth of its size and, unlike rigid structures, it’s designed not to puncture from micrometeorite impacts [source: Chang].

Bigelow has successfully launched unmanned space stations and aims to deploy a large enough one to accommodate a dozen astronauts by late 2016—pending the acquisition of rockets for transport [sources: Chang; Chang].

For just over $26 million per person, you can secure a 60-day stay, including transportation. It's still a bargain when compared to the $70 million NASA spends on a single seat aboard a Soyuz spacecraft to the ISS [sources: Morring; Wall].

8: The Ultrawealthy

What would extravagant capitalist enterprises be without the influence of the wealthy?

The affluent don't just fuel the market for $50,000 diamond-encrusted Bluetooth headsets; they were also the early adopters of the 1984 Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, a 2-pound (0.9-kilogram) brick costing $3,995 ($8,000-$11,000 in 2012 value). Essentially, the cycle of development, improvement, marketing, and sales that gradually leads to smaller, better, and cheaper products often starts with wealthy pioneers.

At least for now, space tourism remains a luxury reserved for the wealthy elite. As of January 2012, only seven private citizens had journeyed to space at their own expense, each spending tens of millions of dollars on their golden ticket to the International Space Station aboard a Russian rocket [source: Chang]. However, their willingness to spend such vast sums on space travel signals the existence of a potential market—a crucial first step toward making spaceflight more affordable in the future.

So, who possesses the ultra-deep pockets, akin to the gravity well of a black hole, required to build these space empires? You guessed it: the super-wealthy, founders and CEOs of companies like Microsoft, Amazon, PayPal, and Virgin Records. So, as you continue reading, don’t be shocked if you come across some names you're already familiar with. Speaking of which ...

7: Virgin Galactic

Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, is as far from a shrinking violet as Donald Trump, so it’s no surprise that Virgin Galactic has made its name nearly synonymous with space tourism. But what can one expect from a ride aboard SpaceShipTwo (SS2)?

Here’s a preview: After preparing for 2-3 days, passengers will board SS2, a 60-foot (18-meter), six-passenger rocket glider attached beneath VirginMothership Eve. This dual-fuselage plane, with a wingspan of 140 feet (43 meters), will ascend to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) before releasing SS2. SS2 will then ignite its rockets and soar towards the edge of space, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) away, in a parabolic flight. After five minutes of weightlessness, the space plane will ‘feather,’ using drag to slow its descent to 70,000 feet (21,336 meters); from there, it will glide back to Earth and land like an airplane [sources: Chang; Chang].

By September 2013, SS2 had passed several tests, including successfully detaching from its carrier plane and reaching Mach 1.2 twice. Billionaire Branson has announced that its first spaceflights will occur by early next year. Travel agents are ready to book your spot. A mere $250,000 guarantees you a place alongside the 600 passengers already reserved as of September 2013 [sources: Chang; Virgin Galactic].

6: Governments and Space Agencies

Many nations interested in the space industry lack the necessary financial resources or political resolve to establish a national space program. Instead, they use their available assets, including offering financial incentives, exerting influence to bring key stakeholders to the negotiating table, and effectively combining talent and resources to achieve their goals.

For instance, the European Space Agency capitalizes on Europe's intellectual capital and research facilities, promoting the creation of space clusters—collaborations focused on space-related research and development initiatives—by encouraging leading companies and research teams to participate.

NASA also plays a key role in fostering private ventures by offering support through initiatives like the Centennial Challenges and partnerships with commercial space companies. It even makes available some of its unused launch pads for private rental [source: Boyle]. With the Commercial Crew Initiative, NASA motivates space companies to develop affordable space taxi services for astronauts and cargo. In 2008, NASA entered multi-million-dollar agreements with SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corp. to transport cargo to and from the International Space Station: eight flights from Orbital (worth approximately $1.9 billion) and 12 flights from SpaceX (worth roughly $1.6 billion) [source: NASA].

As of September 2013, Orbital had started its demonstration mission to show NASA that its technology and skills were reliable enough for delicate orbital operations and to autonomously dock with the ISS. By that time, SpaceX had already completed two successful missions of the same nature [source: Achenbach].

However, depending on government funding raises an important question: Will this financial support remain steady? In such uncertain circumstances, the best strategy may be to take things one step at a time—just as our next company did.

5: Blue Origin

Have you ever come across the phrase gradatim ferociter? Loosely translated, it means "step-by-step, fiercely."

This is the motto of Blue Origin, the company behind the New Shepard vertical-takeoff-and-landing spacecraft: advancing step by step, fiercely—and with great secrecy. Founded by Amazon.com creator Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin operates largely behind the scenes, occasionally revealing its nine-engine rocket pod prototype for testing. The suborbital astronaut transport takes inspiration from the DC-X craft created by McDonnell Douglas for NASA and the Defense Department.

Despite its quiet operations, Blue Origin's efforts caught NASA's attention. The space agency provided $22 million in second-round funding for the craft’s development, adding to the $3.7 million it had awarded earlier for the Launch Escape System (LES) and composite crew module pressure vessel for structural testing.

Blue Origin enjoys significant support, especially from Congress. This backing proved essential when the company filed a protest in September 2013 with the Government Accountability Office over NASA's bidding process for launch pad 39A. The company raised concerns that allowing one entity to dominate the pad would grant it an unfair competitive edge [source: Boyle].

4: Lockheed Martin, Boeing and United Launch Alliance

In any space race, past or present, overlooking the expertise of companies like Lockheed Martin and Boeing would be a major oversight.

Lockheed Martin, having built every aeroshell NASA has used for missions to Mars, from the Viking landers to the Curiosity rover and the upcoming Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft, was responsible for sending two spacecraft into lunar orbit in January 2012. The company is also developing the Orion crew capsule for NASA’s Space Launch System [sources: Lockheed Martin; Lockheed Martin].

In October 2011, Boeing entered into a 15-year agreement to lease a space shuttle hangar at Kennedy Space Center to construct and manage its Crew Space Transportation-100 (CST-100) spacecraft. NASA contributed $110 million to the project through its Commercial Crew Development program. Additionally, Boeing is responsible for the core stage of NASA's Space Launch System, which the company plans to begin testing in January 2014 [sources: Matthews; Roop].

Meanwhile, United Launch Alliance, a collaboration between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, continues to produce Atlas V rockets, which serve as the launch platform for several commercial enterprises planning to deploy their space planes or crew capsules. The enduring reliability of this rocket has all but secured United Launch Alliance’s position in future space endeavors, further supported by the company’s 75 successful launches since its inception in 2006, 40 of which utilized Atlas V vehicles [source: United Launch Alliance].

The real question is whether these strong connections to the established aerospace giants will propel the companies into the future or tie them to a sinking ship. And will NASA continue to provide financial backing for the long term?

3: Sierra Nevada Space Systems

Since 1963, Sierra Nevada Corp. has been a leader in manufacturing defense electronics and has maintained its position as a top American producer of small satellites [source: Chang].

Consider the Dream Chaser, Sierra Nevada’s planned commercial crew vehicle, which is designed to transport up to seven astronauts and cargo to and from the International Space Station. The company aims to capture a significant share of the space tourism and commercial ventures market with the reusable mini-shuttle, which will launch like a rocket and land like an airplane. As of September 2013, the Dream Chaser test article, similar to the Enterprise vehicle used for space shuttle flight tests, had successfully completed tow tests and captive-carry flight tests, with a free-flight test on the horizon [source: Sierra Nevada].

To transition from small satellites to crewed spacecraft, Sierra Nevada brought together an impressive team of industry experts, including partners from Draper Laboratory, NASA’s Langley Research Center, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance [source: Chang].

Sierra Nevada appears to be on the right path: In 2010, the company secured $20 million out of $50 million in NASA funding for early development. By 2011, NASA had granted another $80 million in second-round funding. In addition, the hybrid rocket engines that powered SpaceShipOne during its Ansari X Prize-winning flight also propelled SpaceShipTwo during its successful supersonic test flights in 2013 [source: Norris].

2: Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX)

On December 8, 2010, SpaceX, or Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, made history by launching the first privately owned spacecraft to safely return from Earth’s orbit. The Dragon capsule, which soared into space atop SpaceX's Falcon 9 two-stage rocket, marked a groundbreaking achievement. Yet, its ambitious founder, Elon Musk, wasn't content to stop there—he boldly claimed that within three years, SpaceX would be sending astronauts into space at a cost of $20 million per person.

Once considered an underdog, SpaceX surged to the forefront after Dragon's historic mission. In fulfilling its $1.6 billion contract with NASA to deliver cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), SpaceX made another milestone by becoming the first private company to send an uncrewed spacecraft to the ISS [sources: Kramer; MSNBC].

But the successful resupply missions to and from the ISS are just the start of SpaceX's larger goals. The ultimate objective is to transform the Dragon cargo capsule into a seven-seat manned spacecraft, and the company has already begun working towards that transition.

In September 2013, SpaceX found itself in a legal dispute with Blue Origin and the U.S. Government Accountability Office over whether private sector bids for NASA's launch pad 39A would be exclusive or allow for a multi-user approach. The decision could have significant consequences for companies aiming to dominate the available space infrastructure [source: Boyle].

1: Orbital Sciences Corp.

Browse through the offerings of Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp., and you'll discover a range of small- and medium-class rockets, along with services that span orbiting satellite launches, deep space missions, and high-altitude payload deliveries. Their clientele includes commercial, military, and civil government entities, with NASA as a key partner. Orbital secured a $1.9-billion contract to conduct eight cargo missions to the International Space Station (ISS).

Originally, the company aimed to send its first rocket delivery vehicle to the ISS by the end of 2012. However, the timeline shifted to late 2013. As of September 23, 2013, Orbital's Antares rocket had successfully launched its Cygnus cargo vehicle for its inaugural demonstration mission. Unfortunately, a software glitch caused a delay, but once resolved, the spacecraft was intended to dock with the ISS and remain there until October 2013 [sources: Achenbach; Kramer; MSNBC; NASA].

Like many pioneers in the space industry, the company has faced its share of challenges. In June 2011, an engine caught fire during a ground test. Earlier that year, NASA's Commercial Crew Development program decided not to fund its Prometheus space plane, prompting Orbital to pull back from the project [source: Kramer and Chang].

Nevertheless, as the new space race heats up, Orbital maintains a strong position in the pack. The company continues to contribute to NASA’s endeavors, including developing a launch abort system for NASA's Orion crew capsule, while also diversifying its investments across both public and private sectors in space exploration.

Having navigated the unpredictable tides of space budgets since 1982, Orbital knows how to stack the odds in its favor. This adaptability offers a valuable lesson for any space company that aims to thrive in the evolving space age.