First 100% private spacecraft launched into orbit!

[Expatriate]

This is the first time a non-government funded vehicle has been launched into orbit using a privately funded and developed launch system. SpaceX is the name of the company that did it.

I sure wish someone would develop the Cosmos Mariner spaceplane more - it has the potential to be far superior to the Shuttle which NASA uses, since it takes off from a runway and ascends using jet propulsion before switching to rockets. Much less fuel is needed for that method, which means no massive boosters and fuel tanks.

 

[Indy Vidual]

Good news.

 

[smeg]

thanks for posting this!!!!! we had a mini party at my home during the launch.

(though, i would like to add that this is the first *american* private launch... a european commercial co. has been doing it for a while. plus, the russian space program is over 50% privately owned now).

 

[Mesogen]

Too bad it took a few failures first. One of the explosions took out some of the ashes of James Doohan, Gordon Cooper, and 200 others.