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Heres a look at the top four contenders for developing the next spacecraft, how much funding they have received through the program, and how close they are to sending a crewed flight into orbit. After the shuttle Atlantis makes its final flight this summer, NASA will shut down the program responsible for 135 manned space flights since 1981. Now, NASA is turning to commercial companies to develop space-flight capabilities through its Commercial Crew Development program, which has doled out $320 million in funds since 2009.

NORDEN, Calif. - On a frosty evening in the Sierra Nevada, smoke curling from the chimney of the Clair Tappaan Lodge is a welcome sight to chilly snowshoers and cross-country skiers