SpaceX's 2nd Try Lands Them In The Record Books

By Craig Garcia - After a disappointing first try over the weekend, SpaceX gave it another shot this morning and successfully launched a Falcon 9 Rocket and Dragon space capsule. 

The launch took place very early this morning, and at 3:44am EST Space X became the first commercial carrier able to launch into outer space. Currently the Dragon capsule is racing along towards the international space station, and will complete a bevy of tests en route to ensure that it can dock safely with the ISS. 

At a press conference held shortly after the launch, SpaceX CEO and chief designer Elon Musk stated “I would like to start off by saying what a tremendous honor it has been to work with NASA. And to acknowledge the fact that we could not have started SpaceX, nor could we have reached this point without the help of NASA… It’s really been an honor to work with such great people.” 

“We obviously have to go through a number of steps to berth with the Space Station, but everything is looking really good and I think I would count today as a success no matter what happens with the rest of the mission.” -Musk  added

Elon also stated  “This mission heralds the dawn of a new era of space exploration, one in which there is a significant commercial space element. It is like the advent of the Internet in the mid-1990s when commercial companies entered what was originally a government endeavor. That move dramatically accelerated the pace of advancement and made the Internet accessible to the mass market. I think we’re at a similar inflection point for space. I hope and I believe that this mission will be historic in marking that turning point towards a rapid advancement in space transportation technology.”

So the next steps for SpaceX over the next week are laid out quite nicely and can be viewed directly from the website spacex.com The fist task is  for the Dragon capsule to catch up to the ISS. Then on May 24th sensor and flight system tests with determine if the vehicle is ready to dock with the space station. On the 25th NASA will decide if the Dragon capsule is permitted to dock with the station and if so Astronauts will use the Canad-arm robotic arm to guide the capsule into docking position. Then the remainder of the month from the 25th-31st Astronauts will open the hatch to the Dragon capsule, unload supplies and fill Dragon with return cargo for the trip back to Earth. 

So far that's all the news I have on SpaceX and this first, in the commercial space industry. But check back often as I am sure this not the last we have heard from SpaceX