"All the sudden, you have these new visions for space exploration, and there's renewed excitement, " says Marco Caceres, senior analyst and director of space studies for aerospace consultancy the Teal Group.

FORBES: The New Space Race

Despite valiant efforts by Roscosmos and other space agencies, the Russian probe Phobos-Grunt will be falling back to Earth over the weekend, most likely on Sunday night, according to projections by the Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies at the Aerospace Corporation.

FORBES: Failed Russian Probe Phobos-Grunt Will Fall To Earth This Weekend

Nevertheless, studies by the Futron Corporation, an aerospace consultancy, suggest that suborbital space travel is a promising market.

ECONOMIST: Lift-off for enterprise | The