space x launch a commercial first!

Space X, a commercial space transport company owned by Paypal co-founder Elon Musk, boosted their Dragon capsule into earth orbit atop their own Falcon 9 rocket on Wednesday, Dec 8, 2010.  Dragon orbited twice and splashed down successfully 500 miles off the coast of Southern California.  Space X is the first commercial company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft.   The Dragon capsule is capable of delivering  astronauts to the International Space Station.  A pdf file of a press kit for Space X Commercial Orbit Transportation Service (COTS) Flight 1 is available here. There will be more demo flights to be followed by a test launch all in 2011.  Wow, it's pretty heady stuff!