CONGRATULATIONS SPACEX!
On Tuesday May 22, at 3.44 a.m. EDT SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon rocket, topped by an unmanned Dragon freight capsule, which is set to berth with the International Space Station later this week.
Space Tech Expo exhibitor SpaceX, is the first private company to embark on such a mission and marked a major milestone in efforts to shift spacecraft development to privately funded companies.
The Californian-based company's much-anticipated mission is considered the first test of NASA's plan to outsource space missions to commercial industry now that its fleet of space shuttles is retired.
NASA's administrator Charles Bolden said: "Today marks the beginning of a new era in exploration...The significance of this day cannot be overstated; a private company has launched a spacecraft to the International Space Station that will attempt to dock there for the first time. And while there is a lot of work ahead to successfully complete this mission, we are certainly off to good start."
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