Key events
SpaceX, is an aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company. Based in Hawthorne, California, it was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs to enable the colonization of Mars.
In 18 years, SpaceX became a leader in the aerospace industry.
On September 2008, SpaceX achieved to launch the first privately funded liquid-fueled rocket (Falcon 1) to orbit.
On December 2010, SpaceX became the first private company to successfully launch, orbit, and recover a spacecraft (Dragon Capsule + Falcon 9).
It was the first demonstration flight for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program.
On December 2015, SpaceX successfully landed the first stage of the Falcon 9. It was the first time that the first stage of an orbital rocket made a successful return and vertical landing.
On February 2018, SpaceX launched a Tesla Roadster on the sun orbit with the mannequin named Starman. The car has been used as a dummy payload to test the new Falcon Heavy rocket.
Both boosters landed safely at Cape Canaveral.
In 2020, SpaceX launched the first two-person orbital spaceflight from the USA since 1982. The capsule has docked to the ISS on May 31, and landed back on earth on August 2.
This mission was a national success for the USA.
See other missions and launches directly on the SpaceX website