SpaceX successfully launches Dragon space capsule

Space.com : Space Exploration Technologies Corp, or SpaceX , successfully launched its Dragon capsule on its Falcon 9 rocket today at 10:43am from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX, a privately owned company, was founded in June 2002 by PayPal cofounder Elon Musk, and in November of this year it received the Federal Aviation Administration’s first-ever commercial license to reenter a spacecraft from Earth orbit. The Dragon capsule was originally scheduled to launch 7 December but was delayed because of cracks discovered in the Falcon 9’s upper-stage engine nozzle. The mission plans to test the Dragon’s systems in space for nearly two orbits and then the capsule is scheduled to reenter the atmosphere and splash down in the Pacific Ocean about three hours after launch. The Dragon capsule is being designed to carry cargo and crew for NASA.