The Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida at 2:45 p.m. EDT and reached a nearly perfect orbit less than 9 minute later. "This has really been a fantastic day," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk just told reporters after the Falcon 9/Dragon achieved orbit. "Certainly one of the greatest days of my life. As many people know, we would have been excited to even have the first stage work, or get some of the way through the second stage burn."
The success is a major boon to those supporting President Obama’s proposal to turn the launching of astronauts over to private companies. Friday’s maiden flight held a mock-up of the capsule, aiming it for a circular orbit 155 miles from Earth. The engines appeared to all fire properly, but the second stage started a slow spin near the end of the ascent into orbit [Photos].
Flights carrying cargo to the space station are scheduled to begin next year. SpaceX has said it can build a version for astronauts in three years once it has a contract, reports The New York Times and The Washington Post.
"Congratulations to Space X on today's launch of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Space X's accomplishment is an important milestone in the commercial transportation effort and puts the company a step closer to providing cargo services to the International Space Station," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement released following the Falcon 9 launch. "This launch of the Falcon 9 gives us even more confidence that a resupply vehicle will be available after the space shuttle fleet is retired."
"That's one giant leap for commercial space and one small step towards an open space frontier!' said the Space Frontier Foundation's Rick Tumlinson. "Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team! President Obama and Administrator Bolden are counting on this young new generation of rocketeers to pick up where the failed Constellation program left off. Be it SpaceX, Orbital Sciences, Boeing or the United Launch Alliance, these commercial rockets are The new way to space for America."
The Lurio Report issued a statement syaing, "Today’s flight should go a long way towards countering the hoary, 'magical negative thinking' of the past that led many to deride commercial spaceflight efforts. Of course, some will attempt to keep purveying those old myths, but their squawking should now be seen clearly than ever as the pitiful gasps of another era," Charles Lurio said in a late afternoon e-mail.
"It will be pretty impressive if they have a successful launch less than two hours after an ignition abort. I don't think anyone else in the business can cycle that fast," noted Rand Simberg. [VIDEO]
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