Elon Musk's SpaceX a Success as Dragon Capsule Heads to International Space Station [+video]

Success at last! This morning billlionair Elon Musk's SpaceX successfully launched its Dragon Capsule into space, and the company’s Falcon 9 rockets performed without any malfunctions. The launch occurred at 3:44 am at Cape Canaveral.

The capsule is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station in three days, but before then, it must demonstrate that it is capable of performing a series of maneuvers. There are 1,200 pounds of nonessential supplies and experiments aboard the capsule; it is capable of carrying 7,300 pounds. As of 10:05am the Dragon Capsule has detached from the Falcon 9 rocket and the solar panels were succesfully deployed.

As we celebrate SpaceX’s great success, let us not forget the other companies that are working hard for their moment in the spotlight. Orbital Sciences expects to launch their mission to the ISS later this year. Ideally, the sky will eventually be full of private companies. A successful future in space will have to be a competitive one.

Well done SpaceX, and good luck with the rest of your mission!