Industry analysts claim thousands of private businesses have sprung up over the past decade to develop nongovernment space services ranging from satellite communications and navigation systems to utilizing space as a mausoleum for deceased humans.

• In 1996, some $77 billion was spent on space commerce -- 53 percent of which came from private industry.

• In 1997, private industry financed 42 commercial launches -- compared to 41 government-sponsored military or research launches, some of which included commercial cargo.

• Most commercial traffic comes from satellite television and personal communications services -- including the global satellite positioning system which can pinpoint an individual's location at any point on the globe.

• Two firms are creating small aerospace planes to take a half-dozen passengers to the edge of space and experts predict private vehicles will be able to take passengers into orbit within a decade -- as part of a space-adventure vacation.

The U.S. is currently lagging behind many nations in some space commerce areas because of bureaucratic restrictions, observers report. For example, a remote sensing industry wants to sell people pictures of their houses from space, but the State Department is concerned that might constitute a national security risk.

Aerospace companies would also like to develop reusable launch vehicles, but the agency which issues licenses to launch vehicles does not issue licenses to land them.