First commercial rocket “Falcon 9” launched

By Kim Susan Se-jeong

The first commercial rocket, Falcon 9, successfully lifted off at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 3:44 a.m. on May 22, with an unmanned cargo bound for the International Space Station (ISS).

The SpaceX rocket, short for Space Exploration Technologies, will deliver the Dragon capsule containing provisions for six crewmembers on the ISS. This is the first time a private enterprise has launched a rocket to deliver cargo. If the space docking succeeds, it will mark the beginning of a space enterprise.

“Flight controllers applauded when the Dragon reached orbit nine minutes into the flight,” wrote the Associated Press.

Falcon 9 was set to launch on May 19, but a faulty valve detected half a second before liftoff postponed the event. SpaceX has replaced the bad parts before Tuesday’s successful launch.

The Dragon capsule inside Falcon 9 contains 450kg of food, clothing and other supplies for the ISS crew, along with the ashes of 308 people. Among the ashes are the cremated remains of James Doohan, the chief engineer Montgomery Scott on TV series “Star Trek,” who died in 2005 at age 85.

These ashes, encased in 7-g capsules, will orbit the Earth from 10 to 240 years, burning on its descent down to Earth like a meteor. The funeral in space has been known to cost at least $2,995.

SpaceX, which was hired by NASA for cargo delivery after the American shuttle fleet shutdown last year, says their goal is to launch a private rocket with astronauts onboard in the next three or four years.

SpaceX has invested $380 million into the successful launch of Falcon 9 and the Dragon capsule, which is expected to dock in the next few days.