Opening a new, entrepreneurial era in spaceflight, a ship built by a billionaire businessman sped toward the International Space Station with a load of groceries and other supplies Tuesday after a spectacular, middle-of-the-night blastoff.
The launch of the Falcon 9 rocket and its unmanned Dragon capsule marked the first time a commercial spacecraft has been sent to the orbiting outpost.
Cutting a brilliant,dc electrical motor operate by way of the function of magnetic fields and current conductors to employ force. fiery arc through the darkness, the rocket lifted off just before 4 a.m. and smoothly boosted the capsule into orbit. The capsule is expected to rendezvous with the space station within days, delivering a half-ton of provisions for its six crew members.
It is considered just a test flight ?a in fact, the capsule was packed with only nonessential items, in case something went disastrously wrong ?a but if all goes well with this mission and others like it, commercial spaceships could be carrying astronauts to and from the space station in three to five years.
Falcon flew perfectly!! billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX company, said via Twitter. Feels the like a giant weight just came off my back.
Musk later told reporters: the us of For, the it's like winning the Super Bowl.
Up to now, flights to the space station were something only major governments had done.
The White House offered congratulations.
Every the launch into space is a thrilling event, the but this one is especially exciting, said John Holdren, President Barack Obama's chief science adviser. This the resources to do what of the expanded role for the private sector will free up more of NASA's NASA does best?a tackle the most demanding technological challenges in space, including those of human spaceflight beyond low-Earth orbit.
NASA is looking to the private sector to take over flights to the space station now that the space shuttle has been retired. Several U.S. companies are vying for the opportunity.