Private company launches test spacecraft for NASA

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from pad 40... — The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (Dec. 8, 2010) Credit: AP

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSDecember 8, 2010

A private company launched a spacecraft into orbit and then, in a historic first, guided it back to Earth on Wednesday in a bold test for NASA that could lead to the first commercial space station supply run next year and eventual astronaut rides.

The capsule named Dragon, built by Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, splashed down into the Pacific Ocean three hours after launching from Cape Canaveral. NASA
immediately offered congratulations.

“Splashdown on target. Mission is a success!” the company announced via Twitter.

Until now, only governments had accomplished re-entries from orbit.

NASA is hiring companies like SpaceX to haul supplies to the International Space Station following next year’s retirement of the space shuttle. Taxi trips for astronauts may follow.

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