low-Earth orbit. We detail five of the possible successors to the shuttle.
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CST-100
Boeing
As well as serving as a taxi to the International Space Station Boeing's vehicle could also take paying passengers into space.
CST-100 Dragon
SpaceX
In 2010 SpaceX became the first privately owned company to send a spacecraft into orbit and recover it.
Dragon Dream Chaser
Sierra Nevada Corp
The only shuttle-like winged vehicle to be in the race, but at only 10m (32ft) long it is much shorter than its predecessor.
Dream Chaser MPCV
Nasa/Lockheed Martin
The MPCV is designed for much longer missions than the other craft detailed here - it could venture as far as the Moon or Mars.
MPCV Space vehicle
Blue Origin
Of the four companies receiving Nasa funding, perhaps the least is known about Blue Origin and its space vehicle.
Space vehicle Spacecraft shown in approximate proportion to the space shuttle. Picture credits: Boeing, SpaceX, Sierra Nevada Corp, Nasa and Blue Origin.
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