SpaceX Ushers In New Era of Space Flight

摘要

Private contractor space travel became a reality in December when California company SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, carrying its Dragon space capsule, sped into orbit from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The unmanned orbital space system, created by SpaceX but operated with technical and financial assistance from NASA, flew for a little over three hours before successfully re-entering and landing in the Pacific Ocean. The mission, the second ever to fly Falcon 9 and the first carrying its cargo capsule, was delayed initially after SpaceX found small cracks in the engine nozzle. However, things got back on track quicker than anticipated for the 8 Dec. launch.