The first private cargo spacecraft was launched to the International Space Station

In a message sent by NASA on Twitter, it was stated that the spacecraft is making its way to the space station after a successful launch.

The private space company Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) registered another milestone on the way to the commercialization of space flights to low orbit. This morning the company launched the Dragon spacecraft, carrying equipment for the space station, on top of its Falcon 9 heavy rocket. This is a spacecraft that can be developed in the future to be used in manned flights to the space station. The launch took place at 10:44 this morning Israel time.

In a message sent by NASA on Twitter, it was stated that the spacecraft is making its way to the space station after a successful launch.

This was SpaceX's second attempt to launch the Dragon, on Saturday the launch was aborted immediately after the end of the countdown by the computer due to too strong gas pressure in one of the rocket engines.

This is an important test flight also for NASA, which plans to rely on private companies to upload equipment and even astronauts to the International Space Station. To this end, NASA signed a contract worth 1.6 billion dollars with SpaceX and a similar amount with Orbital Sciences for the purpose of launching supply spacecraft to the space station. In this way, the American industry will join the space agencies of Russia and Japan and the European Space Agency. In the field of passenger transportation, NASA depends on the Russian Space Agency.

The Dragon will arrive at the station during the next week, and after unloading its cargo it will return to Earth in early June.

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