// BEGIN editorial data
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spacerace.sPubDate = "8/8/2008 3:32:24 AM GMT";
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spacerace.appHeader = "fact file|The new space landscape";
spacerace.appDeck = "Who's who in the personal spaceflight revolution";
spacerace.appFooter = "Source: MSNBC <a href=mailto:alan.boyle@msnbc.com>(Click here to e-mail updated info)</a>";
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spacerace[i++] = new Array("","Introduction","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050208/floating.vlarge.jpg","","Passengers in space", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Space Adventures", "196", "278", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spacerace[i-1].body = "Billionaires and visionaries have entered a new space race to send paying passengers to the final frontier. Click on the labels at left for quick facts about the best-known contenders.";

spacerace[i++] = new Array("","Armadillo Aerospace","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060726/060726_quad9.vsmall.jpg","","Armadillo Quad", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Armadillo Aerospace", "106", "148", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spacerace[i-1].body = "<headline/><br><b>Key player:</b> Millionaire video-game programmer John Carmack.<br><b>Vehicles:</b> Vertical Drag Racer, or VDR, would take off vertically, bring passengers to 100\+ kilometers, then land vertically. Quad (pictured) is an unmanned vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicle designed for NASA-backed Lunar Lander Challenge. Capacity and timetable for VDR has not been specified.<br><b>Target date:</b> 2006 for competitive Quad flight.<br><b>More info:</b> <a href=http://www.armadilloaerospace.com target=_new>Armadillo Aerospace Web site</a>.";

spacerace[i++] = new Array("","Benson Space Co.","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/051116/051116_spacedev_hlarge_1p.vsmall.jpg","","Dream chaser", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "SpaceDev", "71", "148", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spacerace[i-1].body = "<headline/><br><b>Key players:</b> SpaceDev and its founder, former CEO James Benson.<br><b>Vehicle:</b> SpaceDev Dream Chaser. Lifting body powered by hybrid rocket engine for suborbital flight, with added booster for orbital flight. Capacity: Six people. Potential bases: Cape Canaveral, Fla.; Virginia. Price per seat: $200,000 to $300,000.<br><b>Target date:</b> 2009.<br><b>More info:</b> <a href=http://www.bensonspace.com target=_new>Benson Space Co. Web site</a>.";

spacerace[i++] = new Array("","Bigelow Aerospace","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060711/060711_coslog_bcol4p.vsmall.jpg","","Bigelow Genesis module", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Bigelow Aerospace", "124", "148", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spacerace[i-1].body = "<headline/><br><b>Key player:</b> Real-estate billionaire Robert Bigelow.<br><b>Vehicles:</b> Inflatable modules, sent into orbit on Russian or U.S. boosters to serve as habitats. Capacity varies. Potential bases: Dependent on launch partner. Price per seat: $10 million for orbital stay.<br><b>Target dates:</b> 2009-2010 for Sundancer prototype, 2012 for full-scale module.<br><b>More info:</b> <a href=http://www.bigelowaerospace.com target=_new>Bigelow Aerospace Web site</a>.";

spacerace[i++] = new Array("","Blue Origin","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060624/060624_bo-craft2_vmed_5p.thumb.jpg","","Generic vertical-takeoff rocket ship", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "FAA", "98", "65", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spacerace[i-1].body = "<headline/><br><b>Key player:</b> Jeff Bezos, billionaire founder of Amazon.com.<br><b>Vehicle:</b> New Shepard. Kerosene-fueled rocket ship would take off vertically under autonomous control to send at least three passengers to an altitude of 100\+ kilometers. Landing would be either by vertical touchdown or by parachute. Base would be on Bezos-owned property near Van Horn, Texas. Price per seat not yet announced.<br><b>Target date:</b> 2010.<br><b>More info:</b> <a href=http://www.blueorigin.com target=_new>Blue Origin Web site</a>.";

spacerace[i++] = new Array("","Da Vinci Project","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/040805/040805_launch_bcol.vsmall.jpg","","Wild Fire launch", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Da Vinci Project", "117", "148", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spacerace[i-1].body = "<headline/><br><b>Key player:</b> Team leader Brian Feeney.<br><b>Vehicles:</b> Wild Fire Mk IV (pictured) is a rocket that would be launched from a balloon to 100\+ kilometers with two passengers. Project Tiger is a space plane that could hold seven passengers. Price per seat for Wild Fire has been listed in the $250,000 range.<br><b>Target date:</b> Not available.<br><b>More info:</b> <a href=http://www.davinciproject.com target=_new>Da Vinci Project Web site.</a>";

spacerace[i++] = new Array("","Explorer","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060216/060216_russiaspace_hmed_1p.vsmall.jpg","","C-21 mock-up", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Space Adventures", "79", "148", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spacerace[i-1].body = "<headline/><br><b>Key players:</b> Space Adventures, Prodea Systems (backed by Ansari family), Russian Space Agency, Myasishchev Design Bureau.<br><b>Vehicle:</b> Explorer. Derivative of C-21 flight concept (pictured), which involves rocket plane launched from Russian carrier plane to altitude of 100\+ kilometers. Potential bases: Singapore and Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, among other locations. Price per seat not yet announced.<br><b>Target date:</b> 2008-2010.<br><b>More info:</b> <a href=http://www.spaceadventures.com target=_new>Space Adventures Web site</a>.";

spacerace[i++] = new Array("","Interorbital Systems","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060319/060319_neptune_bcol_7a.small.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Interorbital Systems", "198", "139", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spacerace[i-1].body = "<headline/><br><b>Key players:</b> Randa Milliron, CEO; Ron Milliron, president and chief designer.<br><b>Vehicle:</b> Neptune. Sea-launched booster powered by hypergolic fuel. Capacity: One pilot, four passengers. Potential bases: Ocean sites. Price per seat: $2 million, with $250,000 fares for first 10 passengers.<br><b>Target date:</b> 2008.<br><b>More info:</b> <a href=http://www.interorbital.com target=_new>Interorbital's Web site</a>";

spacerace[i++] = new Array("","Masten Space Systems","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/2006/Oct/061015/masten.vsmall.jpg","","Masten XA 1.0", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Masten Space Systems", "104", "148", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spacerace[i-1].body = "<headline/><br><b>Key player:</b> David Masten, CEO.<br><b>Vehicle:</b> XA (Extreme Altitude). The XA 2.0 vertical-launch rocket would carry five passengers to altitude of 500 kilometers. The XA 1.0 rocket (pictured) would be part of a step-by-step development plan leading toward 2.0. Development effort based at Mojave Airport, Calif. Price per seat not yet specified.<br><b>Target date:</b> After 2008.<br><b>More info:</b> <a href=http://www.masten-space.com target=_new>Masten Space System Web site</a>.";

spacerace[i++] = new Array("","PlanetSpace","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/051214/051214_dart1_hmed_6p.vsmall.jpg","","Silver Dart", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "PlanetSpace", "92", "148", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spacerace[i-1].body = "<headline/><br><b>Key players:</b> Millionaire Chirinjeev Kathuria; Canadian Arrow's Geoff Sheerin.<br><b>Vehicles:</b> Canadian Arrow is a rocket based on German V-2 design, for taking three people to 100\+ kilometers. Silver Dart (pictured) is a hypersonic glider boosted on suborbital or orbital flight by launch vehicle with clustered rocket engines, capable of carrying eight people. Potential bases include Nova Scotia. Price per seat: $250,000 for Canadian Arrow.<br><b>Target date:</b> 2009-2010.<br><b>More info:</b> <a href=http://www.planetspace.org target=_new>PlanetSpace Web site</a>.";

spacerace[i++] = new Array("","Rocketplane Global","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo/_new/080807-space-rocketplane-hmed-730p.htease.jpg","","Rocketplane XL", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Rocketplane Global", "110", "147", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spacerace[i-1].body = "<headline/><br><b>Key players:</b> George French, CEO/chairman; Dave Faulkner, program manaager.<br><b>Vehicle:</b> Rocketplane XL is a jet/rocket hybrid, with horizontal takeoff and landing under jet power and rocket-powered ascent to 100\+ kilometers, for one pilot and five passengers. Potential base: Oklahoma. Price per seat: $200,000 to $300,000.<br><b>Target dates:</b> Not predicting launch date for XP at this time.<br><b>More info:</b> <a href=http://www.rocketplane.com target=_new>Rocketplane Web site</a>.";

spacerace[i++] = new Array("","Starchaser","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060319/060319_starchaser_bcol_12p.vsmall.jpg","","Starchaser", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Starchaser Industries", "198", "110", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spacerace[i-1].body = "<headline/><br><b>Key player:</b> British CEO and founder Steve Bennett.<br><b>Vehicle:</b> Thunderstar is a kerosene-fueled suborbital rocket with passenger capsule, rising to 100\+ kilometers. Capacity: One pilot, two passengers. Potential base: New Mexico. Price per seat: $183,000.<br><b>Target date:</b> 2009. Starchaser is also considering development of space plane (two crew, six passengers) as follow-on project.<br><b>More info:</b> <a href=http://www.starchaser.co.uk target=_new>Starchaser Industries Web site</a>.";

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spacerace[i-1].body = "<headline/><br><b>Key player:</b> Eric Anderson, president and CEO.<br><b>Vehicles:</b> Company contracts with Russia for rides on Soyuz craft (at right) to international space station. Round trips usually last 10 days. Stated price per seat began in 2001 at $20 million, rose to $25 million in 2007, and could go as high as $40 million by 2009. Also see \"Explorer\" for suborbital venture.<br><b>More info:</b> <a href=http://www.spaceadventures.com target=_new>Space Adventures</a>.";

spacerace[i++] = new Array("","SpaceX","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/051219/051219_spacex_vlrg_9a.vsmall.jpg","","SpaceX Falcon 1", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "SpaceX", "198", "142", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spacerace[i-1].body = "<headline/><br><b>Key player:</b> Millionaire Elon Musk, PayPal co-founder.<br><b>Vehicles:</b> Falcon series of reusable rockets, plus Dragon passenger/cargo capsule for orbital flight. Under development for space station resupply. Capacity: seven people. Potential bases: Kwajalein Atoll; Vandenberg AFB, Calif.; Cape Canaveral, Fla.<br><b>Target date:</b> 2009.<br><b>More info:</b> <a href=http://www.spacex.com target=_new>SpaceX Web site</a>.";

spacerace[i++] = new Array("","Virgin Galactic","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Video/040927/n_branson_virgingalactic_040927.vsmall.jpg","","Image: SpaceShipTwo", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Virgin Galactic", "111", "148", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spacerace[i-1].body = "<headline/><br><b>Key players:</b> British billionaire Richard Branson, aerospace designer Burt Rutan.<br><b>Vehicle:</b> SpaceShipTwo rocket plane, air-launched from carrier plane to altitude of 100\+ kilometers, with \"feathered\" glide back to base. Potential bases: Mojave, Calif.; New Mexico and other sites. Capacity: Two pilots, six passengers. Price per seat: $200,000.<br><b>Target date:</b> 2008-2009.<br><b>More info:</b> <a href=http://www.virgingalactic.com target=_new>Virgin Galactic Web site</a>.";

spacerace[i++] = new Array("","XCOR Aerospace","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/040423/040423_xcor_hmed11a.vsmall.jpg","","Xerus", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "XCOR Aerospace", "77", "148", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spacerace[i-1].body = "<headline/><br><b>Key player:</b> Jeff Greason, CEO.<br><b>Vehicle:</b> Xerus rocket plane. Horizontal takeoff and landing with maximum ascent to 100\+ kilometers. Capacity: One pilot, one passenger. Potential base: Mojave, Calif. Price per seat: $102,000.<br><b>Target date:</b> Not announced.<br><b>More info:</b> <a href=http://www.xcor.com target=_new>XCOR Aerospace Web site</a>.";

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