excalibur almaz limited, based in the isle of man, acquired several of the former soviet union's reusable return vehicles (rrvs), spacecraft designed for transporting cosmonauts to secret 1970s almaz space stations. Excalibur almaz has not quoted a price for a week-long trip, but plans to update the rrv spacecraft design with modern technology. The spacecraft consists of a cone-shaped rrv for launch and re-entry, and an expendable service module. The vehicles can carry three people, a commander and two passengers.

spacedev, a subsidiary of sierra nevada corporation in centennial, colo. (which received $20 million from nasa in february 2010 under a commercial crew development competition), is developing dream chaser, a seven-person spacecraft designed to launch astronauts into space using an atlas 5 rocket.

virginia-based tourism company space adventures plans to sell space tourist seats on new suborbital rocket ships developed by armadillo aerospace, a texas company founded by computer game entrepreneur john carmack. Armadillo's vertically-launched rocketship will take two passengers 62 miles (100 km) above the earth for $102,000, quite a bit less than the amount space adventures charges for a trip to the international space station.

bigelow aerospace in las vegas, nevada, offers an unusual twist on space station design with sundancer, a human-rated module that inflates in space. Multiple modules would combine to create a space complex, or even a moon base, capable of supporting three crew members. Bigelow has already launched two prototype modules, genesis 1 and 2, which are unmanned but still in orbit today. The company has contracted with spacex to fly aboard a falcon 9 in 2014.

long-time satellite launcher orbital sciences of dulles, va., plans to enter the world of spaceflight with its advanced maneuvering spacecraft cygnus. Launched aboard orbital's taurus 2 rocket, the cylindrical cygnus freighter includes a pressurized cargo module that can carry up to 5,952 pounds (2,700 kg) of payload. Current designs are unmanned only, though orbital holds a $1.9 billion contract with nasa for eight cargo flights to the international space station. Tests begin in 2011.