SpaceX blasts off for International Space Station The SpaceX
Falcon 9 rocket soars into space from Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station in Florida, carrying the Dragon capsule. Image by
NASA/Alan Ault The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft
have successfully blasted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida to
carry out an unmanned test flight to the International Space
Station. Today’s lift-off followed an aborted attempt by SpaceX
last Saturday due to a faulty check valve on one of its engines.
The lift-off happened at 3.44am (EDT) today, just as the
International Space Station (ISS) was crossing 400 kilometres
above the North Atlantic, according to NASA. "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," said NASA's John P Holdren in a statement today.
SpaceX itself was set up by PayPal and Tesla Motors co-founder
Elon Musk, with the aim of coming up with the future
commercialisation of space flight tra