SpaceX Successes
SpaceX -- formally Space Exploration Technologies Corp. -- has been best known for launching the Falcon 9 reusable rocket for customers that include commercial satellite operators, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the U.S. military. The successful flight of astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley marks the first time that SpaceX has flown humans -- a huge proof point for a company founded with the goal of colonizing Mars.
“Welcome back to Planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX,” said Mission Control, after the astronauts in the Dragon capsule splashed down into the Gulf of Mexico. Congratulations poured in via Twitter from President Donald Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama, as well as competitors like Blue Origin and Boeing Co.
Now that the “Demo-1” test flight is complete, SpaceX can begin operational trips for NASA. The Crew-1 mission is planned for late September.
SpaceX is also testing Starship, the next-generation rocket that will fly humans to the Moon and then Mars. It’s also preparing to launch its own space-based Internet service called Starlink. And later this month, Musk vows to give a “progress update” on Neuralink, his brain-machine interface startup.
“If you want the person who is going to change the world, you are going to have some rough edges,” Gene Munster, managing partner of Loup Ventures, said of Musk in an interview Sunday. “Ultimately, his success speaks for itself. And while it feels like everything has come together for him this year, he’s been laying the groundwork for the past decade.”
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.