Xp65 alerts to the plans of an international consortium called Excalibur Almaz Limited to open up a new era of private orbital space flight for mercantile customers. The group, consisting of Russian, US, and japanese bath companies, will use a previously



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document.write( top-secret Soviet re-entry vehicle called Almaz to carry paying quest crews on one-week missions into Earth orbit by 2013. This ambition represents a large step beyond the sub-orbital flight market so far targeted by most other private space companies. "Excalibur has raised 'tens of millions of dollars' to initiate what will become a several hundred million dollar program, [CEO] Dula tells Spaceflight Now. He has spent more than 20 years eying this particular Almaz program... He also says 'the calling plan closes' generating profits within a few years. His surveys have found study and science market for space missions that are not tourist hops, but less heavy than ISS operations."

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