Private Rocket Goes Into Orbit

A multimillionaire's test rocket blasted off this afternoon on its maiden voyage and succeeded in reaching orbit in a dry run for NASA 's push to go commercial. After one aborted launch, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket achieved Earth orbit 9 minutes into the flight as planned, according to the company's website. "All in all, this has been a good day for SpaceX," a launch commentator said from the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif.

SpaceX's brand-new Falcon 9 rocket soared off its Cape Canaveral launch pad into thin clouds at midafternoon, carrying a mock-up of the company's spacecraft, named Dragon. The goal was to put the capsule into orbit. NASA hopes to use the Falcon-Dragon combo for hauling cargo and possibly astronauts to the International Space Station after the agency's space shuttles stop flying. SpaceX was founded 8 years ago by Elon Musk, a South African-born entrepreneur who co-founded PayPal. (More SpaceX stories.)