A little over nine minutes after launch SpaceX announced the Dragon spacecraft had reached orbit and cheers could be heard from the launch team.

The SpaceX rocket and spacecraft are designed to carry cargo and/or human payloads to the International Space Station as part of the Commercial Orbital Transportation System that will replace the space shuttle.

Today’s COTS 1 test flight mission is expected to last around three and a half hours with the Dragon making nearly two orbits around the earth before splashing down in the Pacific about 500 miles off the coast of Mexico. If successful, it will be the first time a private company has launched and recovered a spacecraft from earth orbit. It also marks the first time a spacecraft capable of carrying humans has launched into orbit since the Space Shuttle first flew nearly 30 years ago.

The Falcon 9 rocket is nearly 158 feet tall and made its first flight into orbit back in June.  The Dragon capsule is nearly 17 feet tall and 12 feet in diameter. The system can carry 7,297 pounds of pressurized cargo into orbit. The Dragon spacecraft is designed to carry five to seven passengers to orbit as well.

SpaceX says the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft could begin carrying cargo to the ISS as early as next year. The company has a contract for at least 12 flights to the ISS and is also capable of returning cargo from the station.

Images: SpaceX

Authors: Jason Paur

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