Astra is the brand name for a number of geostationary communication satellites, both individually and as a group, which are owned and operated by SES S.A., a global satellite operator based in Betzdorf, in eastern Luxembourg. The name is also used to describe the pan-European broadcasting system provided by these satellites, the channels carried on them, and even the reception equipment.

SES, Société Européenne des Satellites, is a global satellite owner and operator, founded in 1985, and based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg. 

SES is the world’s second-largest telecommunications satellite operator by revenue and operates a fleet of 50 geostationary satellites able to reach 99% of the World’s population. These satellites provide satellite communication services to businesses and government agencies, and broadcast TV and radio channels to audiences worldwide. As of the end of 2011 SES satellites carry over 5,200 TV channels (including over 1200 in high definition), more than 1000 radio stations, and 44 direct-to-home(DTH) platforms across the world.

Inmarsat plc is a British satellite telecommunications company, offering global, mobile services, using a fleet of communications satellites. It provides telephony and data services to users worldwide, via portable or mobile terminals which communicate to ground stations through eleven geostationary telecommunications satellites. Inmarsat's network provides communications services to a range of governments, aid agencies, media outlets and businesses with a need to communicate in remote regions or where there is no reliable terrestrial network. 

Aside from its commercial services, Inmarsat provides global maritime distress and safety services (GMDSS) to ships and aircraft at no charge, as a public service.

The Inmarsat satellites are digital transponders that receive digital signals, reform the pulses, and then retransmit them to ground stations. Ground stations maintain usage and billing data and function as gateways to the public switched telephone network and the Internet.

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. ULA was formed in December 2006 by combining the teams at these companies which provide spacecraft launch services to the government of the United States. U.S. government launch customers include both the Department of Defense and NASA, as well as other organizations.

ULA provides launch services using three expendable launch systems – Delta II, Delta IV andAtlas V. The Atlas and Delta launch system families have been used for more than 50 years to carry a variety of payloads including weather, telecommunications and national security satellites, as well as deep space and interplanetary exploration missions in support of scientific research. ULA has also provided launch services for non-government satellites. 

Alliant Techsystems Inc., most commonly known as ATK, is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the United States with more than 18,000 employees in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally.

ATK is a pioneer in solid rocket propulsion systems, strategic missiles, missile defense, lightweight space deployables, solar arrays and satellite thermal management systems, while developing new technologies for small and micro satellites.

ATK’s human space capability includes solid rocket boosters, engineering services, astronaut tools and solar arrays. Its Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRM)  have been propelling the space shuttle since its beginning. In the commercial market ATK offers its Liberty Launch Vehicle, which includes a five-segment solid rocket first stage and liquid fueled upper stage to transport astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). ATK is also developing the launch abort and attitude control motors for the Ares I Orion crew capsule, as well as the circular shape ultra-light solar arrays that will power the capsule.

Propulsion systems for  strategic missiles and missile defense systems is a core capability. ATK provides all three stages for the Minuteman III and Trident II D-5 missiles. In the missile defense arena, ATK also provides all three stages for the Ground-based Missile Defense (GMD) system. 

ATK’s involvement with Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) extends from launch vehicles to small and micro satellites. With ATK’s versatile product line of solid rocket motors, multiple launch vehicle configurations can be developed to support specific mission requirements.

The company’s small satellite capabilities include responsive development, constellation solutions, single-string and redundant avionics architectures. ATK also provides commercial boosters for the Delta rockets. The company is teamed with Lockheed Martin to provide the commercial Athena launch vehicle. 

Headquartered at Mojave Air and Space Port, The Spaceship Company is the aerospace production company, founded by Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites, which will be building a fleet of commercial spaceships (SpaceShipTwos) and carrier aircraft (WhiteKnightTwos) intended to make regular, commercial, manned space travel a reality.

The company has announced plans to build three WhiteKnightTwo aircraft and five SpaceShipTwo rocket planes.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop.

The former Space Technology sector (now Aerospace Systems Sector) builds satellites and space payloads for the US government, including NASA, NOAA and the US Air Force.

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. (commonly Ball Aerospace) is a manufacturer of spacecraft, components, and instruments for national defense, civil space and commercial space applications.

This American company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ball Corp., with primary offices in Boulder and facilities in Broomfield and Westminster in Colorado, with smaller offices in New Mexico, Ohio, Georgia, Northern Virginia, and Maryland.

Ball Aerospace began building pointing controls for military rockets in 1956, and later won a contract to build one of NASA’s first spacecraft, the Orbiting Solar Observatory. Over the years, the company has been responsible for numerous technological and scientific projects and continues to provide aerospace technology to NASA and related industries.

XCOR Aerospace is an American private rocket engine and spaceflight development company based at the Mojave Spaceport in Mojave, California. 

XCOR was formed by former members of the Rotary Rocket rocket engine development team in September, 1999. 

Virgin Galactic is a company within Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to space tourists, suborbital launches for space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites.

Further in the future Virgin Galactic hopes to offer orbital human spaceflights as well. Virgin Galactic's spacecraft are launched from a large aeroplane, giving the spacecraft more initial speed and altitude than if it were launched from the ground.