Race To Space

Names and ages: Michael Kelly, 44; Karen West, 45; and Michael Gallo, 40

Company name and description: Kelly Space & Technology Inc. is a satellite-launching company.

Based: San Bernardino, California

Founded: 1993

Start-up costs: $10,000

1997 sales: $1 million

Number of employees: 20

Going their own way: After working in TRW's ballistic missiles division for several years, Kelly and Gallo struck out on their own in an area their former employer chose not to pursue: commercial satellite launching.

Novel idea: The company is developing a partly reusable satellite-launching vehicle that it claims is less expensive to operate and easier to launch than others on the market. (A smaller version of the vehicle will be used for the X PRIZE Competition.)

"We're the air charter service to use to deliver what anyone wants [into space] in a cheap, reliable manner," says Kelly.

Future's so bright: "All the dreams that the Apollo program instilled in people about the future of man in space have been delayed for various reasons, but they're about to materialize," Kelly predicts. "So if you want to be a part of this, get ready."

This article was originally published in the November 1998 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Race To Space.