List of Spacecraft Manufacturers

List Of Spacecraft Manufacturers

During the early years of spaceflight only nation states had the resources to develop and fly spacecraft. Both the U.S. space program and Soviet space program were operated using mainly military pilots as astronauts. During this period, no commercial space launches were available to private operators, and no private organization was able to offer space launches.

In 1980s, the European Space Agency created Arianespace, the world's first commercial space transportation company, and, following the Challenger disaster, the American government deregulated the American space transportation market as well. In the 1990s the Russian government sold their majority stake in RSC Energia to private investors. These events for the first time allowed private organizations purchase, develop and offer space launchers; beginning the period of private spaceflight.

The following is a list of non-government-owned spacecraft manufacturing companies and contractors.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.