After several false starts, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the Dragon spacecraft from Cape Canaveral this morning and is en route to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Falcon 9, which carried the Dragon spacecraft to orbit, launched at 3:44 a.m. ET, making SpaceX the first commercial company ever to send a spacecraft to the ISS. Dragon is expected to arrive at its destination within three days, at which time a number of navigation and other system tests will be performed before it moves closer to the ISS and is nabbed by astronauts via robotic arms.
"There's still a thousand things that have to go right, but we are looking forward to this exciting mission," said Alan Lindemoyer, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program.
SpaceX has been working with NASA on commercial spaceflight efforts since last year, when the space agency awarded it a $75 million contract to further develop its Dragon spacecraft. NASA ended its space shuttle program last year after more than 30 years (see slideshow below) in order to focus more heavily on deep-space exploration. As a result, ISS journeys in the U.S. will be handled by private firms in the years to come.
"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," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said in a statement.
"When it worked, and Dragon worked, and the solar arrays deployed, people saw their handiwork in space operating as it should. There was tremendous elation. For us it is like winning the Super Bowl," Musk continued.
In a statement, John P. Holdren, assistant to the President for Science and Technology, congratulated the SpaceX team. "Every launch into space is a thrilling event, but this one is especially exciting because it represents the potential of a new era in American spaceflight," he said. "This expanded role for the private sector will free up more of NASA's resources to do what NASA does best – tackle the most demanding technological challenges in space, including those of human space flight beyond low Earth orbit."
The launch was originally scheduled for May 19, but was shut down seconds before takeoff after the spacecraft's flight computer detected slightly high pressure in the engine 5 combustion chamber.
"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 said today.
According to NASA, Dragon is carrying about 1,200 pounds of supplies for the ISS crew - most of which is food and clothing - as well as student-designed experiments. The spacecraft can actually hold up to 7,300 pounds of supplies, but NASA and SpaceX are taking it slow and limiting the amount of cargo on this first run to only critical items.
The SpaceX rocket was also carrying some extra cargo of a sentimental nature. The ashes of 308 deceased people - including Star Trek actor James Doohan - were contained in a special pod that was designed to separate from the Falcon 9 rocket nine minutes into its flight, according to the Telegraph.
The Dragon will remain docked at the ISS for about three weeks while cargo is unloaded. Astronauts will then remove it using the robotic arm, at which point it will return to Earth via parachutes and land in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast.