SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launches Dragon Capsule into Orbit

by Jordan Yerman | December 8, 2010 at 08:20 am

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SpaceX Falcon Launches After Delays

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has launched its Falcon 9 rocket, which is carrying the unmanned Dragon space capsule. The Dragon capsule will orbit the earth twice before re-entering the Earth's atmosphere and splashing down off the coast of Mexico. Should SpaceX be successful, it will be the first private company to complete a spaceflight mission.

After initial delays, SpaceX launched the Falcon 9 rocket at 10:43am local time from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. A live webcast of the SpaceX mission is available.

The SpaceX craft, if proven successful, will be positioned to pick up where the Space Shuttle program left off: bringing supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). SpaceX founder Elon Musk has invested over $100 million of his own money into the project, as NASA looks to the private sector to participate in near-Earth space missions.

The Falcon 9 rocket built by Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, is on its first full test flight. Its Dragon capsule is empty and unmanned but with plans to be filled in the months ahead for cargo - and ultimately astronaut - transport to the space station.